Lehnsherr's Mimmic
by Mammps
Summary: Etta Maria Lehnsherr is the daughter of Erik Lehnsherr. Raised by Charles Xavier in the school, she's only known her father for four years. As Apocalypse begins his reign of terror, Etta has to join together with her fellow students to save the world against Apocalypse and her father while meeting new friends and making new alliances. Rating may go up.
1. Prologue

1983(20) Apocalypse - 1973(10) Days of Future Past - 1963 Etta is born

 **AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: Welcome to my new story. This came into my head while watching Apocalypse. I felt so bad that Erik lost his family (That he knows of) and so I wanted to give him some family to hold on to. This chapter is to introduce my OC into the saga and her background. The prologue covers from a year after First Class till the beginning of Apocalypse. The beginning of Apocalypse will be in the next chapter.**

 **AN3: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

 **Prologue**

 **September 1963**

Maria glanced out of the window in worry. Her hand placed upon her swelled stomach. Her baby was two weeks late, it was now the 6th September. Erik, the father and the love of her life, wasn't there. He had been there for the week of the due date but that was all he could spare. Both of them had been upset when he had to leave and the baby still hadn't arrived. Maria glanced backwards when her bedroom door opened.

Raven stepped in. Maria owed so much to Raven. Raven had been one of the first mutants Maria had ever met. She had been there when Maria was recruited to Erik's side and then encouraged the blossoming relationship between her and Erik. She'd been there through the entire pregnancy. She refused to leave Maria's side when Erik wasn't able to stay himself.

"Should you be stood up Maria?" Raven asked, her blond hair reflecting what little light there was shining in from the night time light.

Maria smiled slightly as she looked back out of the window. "Probably not. I just thought a walk may make the little one make an appearance. He's keep me up and wearing me out. The contractions are still mild."

"He?" Raven asked with a smile.

"He acts too much like Erik to not be, but I think both Erik and I were hoping for a little girl to spoil rotten" Maria replied with a large smile. "Did you know that while Erik was here he held a metal ball over my stomach and it floated up with Erik doing anything?"

Raven chuckled a little as she walked up to Maria's side, and ushering Maria back to the bed. "Wow, that's incredible. But I'm sure you'll both love it whether it be a boy or girl. I know I will"

"Well, they'll love their aunt Raven. Gosh Raven I don't know what I would have done without you these last few months." Maria commented as she climbed into bed, the sheets covering her. She cringed as a mild contraction hit, her hand going back to her stomach. "With everything going on you've been a life saver"

"You would have been fine Maria. You're a strong woman. Brave. Loyal. You saved my life, this is the least I could do for you." Raven commented taking Maria's hand tightly for support. She was thinking back to when they first met. Raven had been in the same bar as her. Erik had been there too. They'd been sat on the table next to her with another person. Someone had recognised Erik and Raven for what they were and had pulled out their gun. Before they could move the gun was fired. Maria hadn't even realised she had acted but her electric blue shield had flared up in front of them. Her eyes and hands glowed when she did. When the men of the bar turned on her she released her shield outwards. As it passed through each person they received just enough of an electric shock to knock them unconscious. She'd been drafted to Erik's cause immediately.

Maria smiled and the smile doubled when she felt a familiar presence in the room. She looked over to the doorway. There in the doorway was the one person she wanted to see.

"Erik!" Maria called with a grin on her face.

Raven also turned and smile to her friend. "I'll leave you two alone. Call for me if you need me"

Raven left the room, but not before Erik said to her "Thank you Raven."

Erik closed the door and approached Maria. He sat down beside her, placing a hand on her stomach. "Do you think he'll move the metal again?"

Maria smiled. "I think so."

Erik called over his little ball of metal and placed it on top of the stomach. At first it didn't move. Erik pressed his hand to her stomach. "You can do it little one."

The ball started to move upwards. Erik smiled, gave a little laugh and flicked the ball away. He leaned down and placed a kiss to where the ball had just been moved from. "I cannot wait for you to join us little one."

Maria suddenly lurched forward. Her hand going to her stomach. Erik quickly wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. After a few moments she relaxed. "That was a painful one. They're getting stronger. It won't be long now."

"You're contracting? You're in labour?" Erik asked in a shocked panicked way.

Maria glanced up at him and smiled. "Maybe you should wait downstairs Erik. Raven will be back soon. And the doctor should be here soon too."

Erik nodded as the door opened. Raven and the doctor stepped in. Erik pressed a kiss to Maria's forehead before stepping out.

He waited very impatiently downstairs for any news. He could hear Maria screaming as she pushed. Every time she screamed Erik wanted to do nothing but storm in there and be with her. After several hours her screaming finally stopped and another higher pitched screaming began. Erik's face broke into a large smile when Raven came down the stairs. In her arms was a bundle wrapped in blankets. She handed it over to Erik with a smile.

"Say hello to your little girl Erik." Raven said with a large smile on her own face.

Erik glanced down and he could feel his eyes watering. She was beautiful but tiny. You'd think she had been born early with how small she was. She had a small tuft of hair on her head. Her eyes were closed in a peaceful sleep.

"How's Maria?" Erik asked.

"I don't know. She doesn't look good Erik. The birth took a lot out of her. The doctor told me to bring the baby down to you while he works on her." Raven said, her smile disappearing on her face having being replaced with a concerned frown.

Erik's breath halted. "Please go up there Raven. I need to know."

Raven nodded. She turned on her heel and went towards the stairs when the doctor appeared down the stairs. The expression on his face told them all they needed to know. Erik's knee's gave out and he dropped. His eyes brimming with tears. He could feel them coming when a small sound caught his attention.

His eyes dropped to the bundle. She'd woken up. Her aqua blue eyes looked up at him. Maria's eyes. She looked up at him, straight into his eyes and he could help but let a small smile reach his face. "We'll be okay. You'll be okay, little one. I'll protect you. I'll love you. I'm make sure nothing in this world can harm you"

"Etta. Etta Maria Lehnsherr" Erik told her, not taking his eyes of Etta.

 **November 1963 – aged 2 months and 2 weeks**

Charles sat in his wheelchair, his mind still reeling. Erik, his friend, had not only betrayed him, paralysed him, took away his oldest friend but had now he had assassinated the President of the United States. It had happened three days ago. They had captured Erik three days ago. Charles couldn't shake it from his head that Erik had done such a thing. Hank, Sean and Alex were sat on the sofa beside him as the news again repeated the assassination. Suddenly all of them heard a knock on the door. Charles searched with his ability to find who was at the door. He felt his mind latch onto one. The jumbled mess of images rather than words told him all he needed to know. It was a child, a baby.

"Charles?" Hank asked curiously, watching Charles expression fill with shock.

"Come with me." Charles said wheeling himself to the front door.

Hank reached the door first and opened it. He was shocked when he saw what had cause Charles to go into shock. There was a baby wrapped in a blanket placed in a small wooden weaved bassinette. The baby was thankfully asleep but as Hank picked up the bassinette he noticed a letter. He drew all three of them inside to where Sean and Alex had stopped before turning back to Charles.

"There's a letter Charles" Hank said holding the bassinette at the right height for Charles to pick the letter up. Charles instantly recognised the handwriting of the person who wrote this letter. It was Raven's handwriting.

"It's from Raven." Charles commented quietly.

Hank didn't reply. He didn't know what to say. He glanced down at the baby and couldn't help but wondered whether it was Raven's baby. Sean didn't have a problem voicing a similar opinion, "Is it her baby?"

Charles starred at the letter for a long time before finally opening it and pulling out the actual letter.

He read it aloud for the others benefit.

 _Charles_

 _I know after all that had happened I have no right to ask you for a favour but if you do not wish to do it for me then do it for this little girl. Her name is Etta Maria Lehnsherr. She's is Erik's child. She was born on the 16_ _th_ _September of this year. I was at loss of what to do with her. Her mother, Maria, died during child birth and I'm sure you are aware of the circumstances that Erik is in. As much as I wish I could keep and raise her myself, it is too dangerous for Etta to remain with me and the brotherhood. She will be safe with you and if I know you as well as I think I do she will be loved by you. She is also a mutant and is already displaying her mutant capabilities. She will need training in the same way you trained us. Please take care of her._

 _Raven_

Everybody watched Charles as he lowered the letter, looking for a reaction, for an answer. Charles looked up to Hank and then to the baby whose eyes had now opened. The others looked to the child too. She had beautiful aqua blue eyes. Charles raised a hand to the baby's cheek. He marvelled at how soft the skin was. The baby smiled and Charles could hear his own thoughts being reflected back at him, through the child's mind.

"Incredible. Raven was right about one thing. She is a mutant." Charles said, before moving to lift the baby completely out of the bassinette. He held her tightly against him, even as she wiggled trying to free herself from the blanket.

"I don't know how to raise a child. I'm going to need all the help I can get." Charles commented honestly, looking up at Hank in particular.

"I will be here to help as I can Charles but I haven't had much experience with babies." Hank replied reaching to take the babies hand, but when they came in contact with her hand it turned blue and flurry. Hank jolted back and as soon as the contact ended her hand returned back to normal.

"I have a younger brother. I can slightly remember what it was like when he was a baby. I can help." Alex commented. With a smile as he caught the attention of the baby. He waved and grinned when he got a smile from her.

"I have no experience but we've been through a lot together I'm not going to leave now." Sean said completing the group of four. He went to take her hand just like Hank had done when Hank grabbed his wrist.

"I think after what happened when I touched her I'd imagine she can copy other mutants abilities when she touches them. Maybe you shouldn't touch her, just in case she decides to start screaming and it turns supersonic. A normal screaming baby is bad enough, I highly doubt we want a sonic scream" Hank commented with a smile to try and ease the blow.

The others agreed, though they couldn't stop their minds from going to the thought of her screaming like Sean can scream. They all cringed at the thought.

 **1973 – aged 10** _ **(Days of Future Past)**_

Etta rushed down to the door of Xavier's Institute or ex-institute. It hadn't been an institute since soldiers turned up and took every available man of age, whether they be a student or teacher, to join the war effort. The others had been sent home in the weeks after. Charles, Hank and Etta were the only ones left in the institute walls and it seemed too quiet after being filled with students. Etta missed the others she had grown up around like Sean "Siren" and Alex "Havoc". Those two in particular had been there when she'd been left on the doorstep at three months old with only a letter. She didn't pay much attention to the letter though. Charles and Hank were, as far as she was concerned, the only guardians she'd ever known and therefore loved them unreservedly. Even during the bad days where she wouldn't see Charles until the evening she loved him and worried for and about him. He hadn't been the same since the school was emptied. Yes, in that time he'd regained the use of his legs but at the cost of his ability and he had lost a majority of his friends and family. Etta barely saw him around the institute during the day but she would see him, without fail, every evening so he could talk to her as he tucked her into bed even though she was too old to be tucked into bed. It was their time. A time reserved just for the two of them to spend time together and talk. It was often the highlight of her day after spending a day being schooled by Hank.

As Etta reached the front door, she opened it to see a scruffy bearded man stood there. His hair was trimmed and brushed in a way that it resembled a wolf's fur around their ears. He was wearing a pair of baggy jeans, a grey shirt with a light grey pattern and brown leather jacket.

"Who are you?" Etta asked.

"Never mind that kid. Is the professor in?" the man replied gruffly, glancing behind her into the house.

"Well I can't tell the professor, who may or not be here, that you're here to see him if I don't know your name" Etta replied sassily, her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

"Look kid, I don't have time for this" the man said exasperated, "Is he in or not?"

"I'll ask for you" Etta replied, her mind immediately finding Charles in his room. She connected their minds and said ' _There is a man here to see you.'_

Etta kept their minds connected until Charles replied with, _'I do not wish to see him.'_

"I'm sorry Sir but the Professor is extremely busy at the moment. Perhaps you should return a different day" Etta said to the man as she began to close the door.

However the man grabbed the door before it closed, pushing it back open and pushing Etta at the same time. In her frustration Etta's mind connected with the mans and images flashed before her eyes. Logan, the school, an older version of her, Charles, Hank and her father. The good, the bad, and the war. She gasped as she reeled back. She grabbed the man's hand.

"The professor is this way Logan. We'll have to hurry if your mission is so time sensitive." She immediately turned and began pulling him towards the professor's room, mentally calling for Hank to join them. _'Hank, a man is here to see Charles. Will you see him as well?'_

"How do you know my name?" Logan asked her.

"You already know that. I'm Etta." Etta replied with a smile on her face.

Logan looked down at the young ten-year old girl who he would meet in the future and who would be so brave, powerful and charismatic. It was strange seeing her as a child, he'd only known her as an adult when her innocent light had been soiled by real life. Though by the mature way this girl spoke she was already on the way to being the adult that he knew.

"Etta!" Etta heard the familiar voice of Hank and so turned to face him. Hank glanced between Etta and Logan before saying "Go to your room, try and get on with that work I left you. I'll take him the rest of the way to the professor."

Etta nodded. "Okay. It was nice to meet you Logan. I'll look forward to meeting you in the future."

Etta took her leave before Logan could reply by skipping down the corridor happily, confident that the things she'd seen in Logan's head were about to be corrected.

 **1979 – aged 16** _ **(6 Years after Days of Future Past)**_

Etta stepped out of the bus, thanking the bus driver in fluent Polish. She was glad that he had been settled here long enough for her to not only be able to find and visit him but also to learn the language in preparation for her trip. She tapped into her mutation, or rather the mutation she'd permanently mimicked from Charles, to locate the man she was after. Her stomach flipped when she realised how close she actually was to meeting him – her father. She'd been thinking about it ever since Logan had visited and he, Charles and Hank had broken her father out of the Pentagon. Six years it had taken for him to settled for long enough that she could plan the visit to Charles' satisfaction. Charles had been relatively supportive of her finding and meeting her father. She knew, from her quite strong telepathic connection with him, that part of him was afraid of her going and never returning, another part of him was afraid of her being rejected by her father and getting her heart broken, and the final part, which seemed to be the slightly stronger part at that point, was hopeful and happy about the reunion of herself and her father.

She could see the house now but she was freezing cold. She had underestimated how cold it would get and therefore had come severely underprepared. Her entire body was shaking. She knocked on the front door when she reached it and barely waited a moment before a man came and opened it. She was in the right place. It was him. Her father, Erik "Magneto" Lehnsherr, was in front of her. He glanced at her, up and down, probably noticing the thin coat and the severe shaking.

"Sorry, you must be at the wrong address." Erik said, as he began to close the door.

"No!" Etta called out but he still closed the door in her face.

She knocked again but there was no answer. "Please! I am in the right place". She knocked again. She knew from Charles' power that he hadn't moved from behind the door and wouldn't until she left. She knocked again desperately. "Please! My name is Etta Lehnsherr. I know who you are." She called loudly.

She had barely a second until the door suddenly swung open and she was pulled inside. The door closed behind her on its own, presumably by his mutation to move metal. She looked into his eyes, not the same colour as hers but Charles had told her that they wouldn't be, but she was the feminine version of him in every other way. She felt his hand come up and rest on her cheeks, his eyes watering.

"Etta? My Etta?" he questioned, his voice cracking slightly as his emotions took over. Metal objects began floating but it seemed only Etta took notice.

She smiled to him and nodded before turning the room and raising a hand, tapping into her least used permanent mimicked power, and slowly lowered the objects back down into their places. She noticed that Erik was watching her, a proud smile on his face.

"You have my mutation. I suppose I should have known. Even from within your mother you could make a metal ball float." Erik commented with a large smile, his eyes going slightly reminiscent.

She smiled slightly. "Only technically. I don't have the same mutation as you but Charles said that my mutation, which is to mimic others abilities, has permanently wrote yours into my DNA due to me being around you when I was a baby and when my mutation was developing. It's one of three that have been permanently written in."

Erik's face went from just proud to a mixture of proud and angry. "Charles?" he asked.

Etta nodded. "Charles Xavier. He's raised me since I was left on his doorstep when I was three months old."

"I've seen him since then. Why didn't he tell me? I've spent the last six years wondering how to even start looking for you. I considered looking for Raven or asking Charles or breaking into every orphanage in the world to see the records. After all this time he hasn't told me and I've missed so much of your life." Erik said, beginning angry but slowly deflating as he went on.

"Don't blame him. He wanted to make sure we were all in the right frame of mind when we were reunited. I wasn't six years ago, Charles wasn't and from what I've heard neither were you. We would have done more damage to our relationship then good." Etta told him maturely, while raising a hand to place on his shoulder.

Erik looked at her gently. His eyes were full of pride again and were bright with happiness that he had not felt in a long time. "You are very mature for your age"

"Well I was raised by Charles and Hank, mostly surrounded by older students. In fact Hank says that I'm learning at a rate faster than others my age. He's said that he's going to make me his official assistant outside of my classes" she said excitedly with a large smile.

Etta's enthusiasm and smile made him smile largely. He took her hand and lead her into his main room to where his sofa sat facing a fire. The fire was raging. He led her to the sofa and sat her down before taking a seat next to her, not letting go of her hand.

"You've grown so much since I last saw you Etta." Erik said looking at her face, analysing her features and her smile. "When I last saw you you were just starting to giggle. I'd make these metal toys float around the room and you'd giggle and wiggle just wanting to take the toys yourself. You'd pull them down and grab hold of them."

Etta couldn't help but smile. "I didn't realise I was doing it so young. The earliest I can remember was when I was six. The other students were playing with the ball and it went over the fence. None of us could get out without admitting to Charles that we'd been playing so close to the edge of the property. I didn't realise I was doing it at first. But the metal bent. One of the students were able to get through and grab the ball."

"I've missed out on a lot. I should have been there to see it or help you with it." Erik said looking down.

"Well we're together now. We can make up for missed time. Though I have to check in with Charles every evening and be back at the institute before my classes are meant to start again in two weeks." Etta told him with a smile.

"Check in with Charles? Every night. He doesn't trust me with you" Erik asked, his voice almost hurt.

"No, he does. He is just worried. He wasn't sure what your reaction to me might be. We were never told what your reaction to me had been or whether you even knew I existed." Etta told him, with a small smile.

"How will you contact him?" Erik asked curiously.

Etta tapped her head. "We have a strong connection. Charles says that there isn't anybody else in the world that he could speak to from the other side of the world. He says that if only one of us was telepathic it would never reach but as both of us are, we kind of meet half way."

"Your telepathic?" Erik asked incredulous.

Etta nodded. "It's one of the three mimics that my mutation added to my DNA due to long term exposure to Charles, just like with you."

"What is the third?" Erik questioned curious to know more about his daughter and her quite impressive mutation.

Etta separated her hand from her father and pressed both his palms together. Slowly she pulled them apart and a blue spark began sparking between her palms. She put her palms back together. She reached out in front of her and a glowing blue and sparking shield formed in front of them both, in the middle of Erik's living room.

"Charles says there was a good chance the power belonged to my mother and I mimicked it while still in her womb." Etta explained to him.

Erik smiled. "And he was right. That was your mother's ability."

"Will you tell me about her?" Etta asked him curiously. After all she'd never met anyone who had known her before now.

Erik's smile widened and he did just that. They spent the rest of the day talking about various things, ranging from Maria to Charles to the school to Erik to politics and finally after dinner to places Erik had visited.

When Etta finally lay down in the only bed in the house after Erik wished her a good night Etta realised she'd never felt so complete. She hadn't really felt like there was something missing but now she could tell that there had been a hole where she had wanted her real father. Charles was great and she loved him like he was her father but she wanted to know her real father, her blood father. And beyond that she wanted to get to learn about her mother.

She spent her whole two weeks with her father and was relatively sad to leave at the end of it. She told Erik to write to her and he promised to do so. Neither of them wanted to lose contact with him now.

And they did keep in contact. Etta visited many times over the next four years, as Erik met a woman, married her and had a daughter, Mina. Mina and Etta adored each other. Whenever Etta was visiting you could be sure to find them together. Etta adored her new extended family – her father, step-mother and half-sister – as well as her school family including Charles, Hank and her new roommate Jean Grey.

 **AN4: CHAPTER COMPLETED 21/05/2016**

 **REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. Should I continue?**

 **If yes, I'll hope to get the next chapter up by the end of 23/05/2016 (UK time)**


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: Time to get started on Apocalypse. Though I must admit that I can't remember the name of Erik's wife, after I've watched it again I'll change it to its proper name but for now I'm going to call her Irena**

 **AN3: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

 **Chapter 1**

 **1983**

Etta glanced around to Charles. She'd just arrived in Charles' room. Ever since Etta had gained a roommate they had changed their evening time to sitting in Charles room to talk rather than in Etta's room. Etta had placed herself on the edge of the bed, wrapping her light blue fluffy night robe around her tightly. Charles had wheeled himself up next to her, he was already in his dark blue night robe. He lifted himself up and out of his chair before moving himself onto the side of the bed next to Etta. Using his arms, he shuffled himself backwards so his back was pressed up against the pillows. Etta shuffled back as well so she was sat next to him, leaning back against the pillows.

"You never said if you enjoyed your visit with Erik" Charles commented, starting up the conversation.

"It was good. I took Nina to a Zoo. She loved it. I think she has a mutation. The animals all came right up to her. They avoided everybody else like animals normally do but with her, it was almost like they were drawn to her. But she had fun" Etta told him with a smile on her face. "And then every night after dinner I'd brush her hair and play with her in her room so Dad and Irena can have some time to themselves"

"Sounds like Erik has made himself a nice life." Charles commented with a smile. Though Etta could see a small bit of sadness about it.

Etta analysed him and kept doing so until he looked towards her. He smiled to her, noticing her look before reached a hand over and taking it.

"You're twenty now, you have a family in Poland, you have control over your mutation. You don't have to remain at the school." Charles said, looking at her carefully. "Have you ever thought of moving closer to Erik"

Etta glanced down to the floor for a moment, thinking of what to say. "I'll admit I've thought about it before, but it wouldn't to be closer to Dad but to be closer to Nina. I'm glad to get to know Dad and I do love him, but… he wasn't here. Not like you were."

Etta glanced up at him, squeezing the hand that she was holding. "I'd rather be here. I have family, friends and a purpose here. I'd rather live here and visit Dad then live near Dad and visit here. That is if you want me to stay here."

Charles' smile brightened as he let go of her hand and wrapped the hand and arm around her shoulders. "You are always wanted here. You may be Erik's biological daughter, but you're my daughter in all but blood. I may never get another chance at being a parent."

Etta smiled and leaned into Charles' side. "Well, have you ever thought about getting back in touch with Moira?"

"How do you know about Moira?" Charles' asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hank told me. And then I saw her… in your head. I think you were checking on her with Cerebro when I did." Etta replied, with a small cheeky smile. "What were you doing checking up on her with Cerebro? You told me Cerebro was for serious matters and emergencies only."

Charles' cheeks went slightly red. "I was only making sure she was safe."

Etta grinned. "Sure you were."

Charles grinned as well, his cheeks still lightly red. "You know I don't think your meant to make fun of the person who feeds you and puts a roof over your head."

"Oh yeah? Are you going to kick me out?" Etta teased with a smile.

"I'm thinking about it. What can you offer the school?" Charles teased back.

Etta just laughed and soon Charles joined her.

"Well if you're staying anyway how do feel about taking up a teaching position? It's getting a bit tricky teaching both English and mutation control to every student in this school myself. We have quite a few students now" Charles asked.

"Well, what would you like me to teach? You know I'm very opinionated on some texts." Etta replied seriously, thinking seriously about the overall answer.

"I was thinking that we would split English. The texts that you are extremely opinionated on I shall cover and the others you will. Then I will teach student the basics of controlling their abilities and then you can take over and expand on the control. What do you think?" Charles explained with a hopeful look in his eyes.

Etta smiled, "You've been thinking about this for a while haven't you?"

Charles smiled sheepishly. "I have. I have to admit that I was hoping that you would stay when I asked if you wanted to go."

Etta nodded. "When do I start?"

"Is Monday too soon? Would you like to have a staff bedroom to yourself?" Charles said.

Etta shook her head. "Monday is fine and no thank you. You know Jean feels left out of the school. The others still treat her differently. She wouldn't be comfortable with sharing a room with anybody else so I'll stay in the room I'm in."

"I marvel at your selfless heart Etta." Charles commented.

"I've learnt from the best." Etta said nudging Charles in the side.

Charles laughed. "You'll have to point them out to me, maybe I can learn something from them also."

Etta laughed. "I meant you."

They were quiet as the laughing faded. They sat in a comfortable silence. Etta leaned further into Charles as his arm tightened around her. She leaned her head on his shoulder. After a few moments Charles glanced down at her and noticed her eyes were closed and her breathing was beginning to even out. He shrugged his shoulder slightly, just enough to wake her back up and make her open her eyes.

"It's getting late" Charles commented. "As adorable as it is for you to fall asleep on my shoulder like you used to as a child, you should go to bed."

Etta nodded her eyes falling closed, sleepily mumbling, "I should"

However, Etta didn't seem to move. Charles sighed with a smile. "I suppose if you're really tired you can stay in the spare bed."

Etta smiled with her eyes closed. She waved her hand and a metal frame slipped out from under Charles' bed. She didn't even have to climb down but more rolled to the side and fell into the bed. Charles shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you sure I raised you?" Charles asked teasingly.

Etta nodded, as she lifted the covers already made up on the pull out bed and slipped in. "Yeah but you had Alex and Sean babysit when I was a very impressionable age"

Charles rolled his eyes. "My mistake. Good night"

"Good night, dad" Etta mumbled, already half asleep.

Charles smiled, his chest swelling with a feeling that only parenthood (by blood or not) can give. "If only" he mumbled under his breath.

The next morning Etta was awake and gone before the sun even rose and made her way to her own room. She changed her clothes as quickly and quietly as possible so she didn't wake up Jean before washing and going to sit in the common room. She stayed there until most of the students had woken up, though Hank came and joined her first. He sat beside her and they began speaking about her new role at the school.

"Teaching? So Charles is stealing my lab assistant" Hank commented with a smile.

Etta smiled. "I'll still be here to bring you your drinks and clean your lab station Hank. I just won't have time to do any actual science – actually maybe I will during the evenings and weekends. We'll see."

Hank nodded.

Etta spent most of the morning shifting through the library books to find some sources to teach with, while keeping half an ear on the lessons going on with Charles at the far end of the Library. When Jean's own lesson with Charles came to an end she stopped next to Etta who had just pulled out _Fahrenheit 451._

"Good choice. I like that book." Jean commented.

Etta looked over to the younger girl with a smile. "Me too."

"You didn't come back to the room last night." Jean commented lightly.

"I fell asleep in Charles' room. He can vouch for me." Etta replied with a smile. "He offered me a teaching job here."

A bright smile flashed across Jeans face before it fell slightly, "That's amazing. So we're going to be student and teacher"

"Only when we're in the classroom. Every other time we're friends and roommates." Etta reassured her, knowing it was that worry that made her smile fall slightly.

Jean's bright smile returned. "Good. I'm going to get a drink, do you want to join me?"

Etta nodded as she put _Fahrenheit 451_ back on the shelf. "I need a drink. It's so hard to pick books for you lot to study."

Jean and Etta both began to leave the room as another class filtered in for Charles. Etta continued to talk, well stressed, as they walked, "I mean I don't know how advanced you guys are at reading. Do I give the fourteen year olds something like Fahrenheit four – five – one? Will they get that?"

Jean laughed a little. "Etta, relax. I'm sure if you asked the Professor he'd help you with that sort of thing."

Etta shrugged non-committedly. "I suppose"

Jean side glanced at her before realising the issue. "The Professor isn't going to think less of you for asking. I would expect that he's expecting you to. To show that you will ask for help when needed."

"Or he'll want me to show initiative and work it out myself." Etta argued.

Jean shrugged. "As it's your first time teaching I'd say he'd expect you to ask. Maybe after that then it'll be using your initiative but you have no experience with what ages read what except from when you yourself was attending the classes."

Etta nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Maybe you should be the student and I'll be the teacher."

Jean laughed, "I don't think so. I think you'll make an excellent teacher"

Etta just shrugged but her cheeks went a bit red in slight embarrassment. They entered into the main hall by the front doors. Neither were really watching where they were going as they passed through watching two of the younger students running through. They both stopped when Jean bumped into somebody, knocking her books out of her hand. Etta smiled as she saw Jean use her abilities to stop her books and papers from falling to floor and lifting them, in order, back into her hands.

"Pretty good Jean." Etta commented before she looked at who they had bumped into.

It was two men. Etta smiled at the older one, recognising him. Alex Summers. She assumed he was here to bring the younger man as she'd never seen the man before. Well, lad, he appeared to only be around Jean's age. He was wearing a bandage over his eyes and Etta could only assume that it had something to do with his mutation.

"How did you do that?" suddenly the younger man said out loud.

Etta glanced over to him and spotted he was looking around. She glanced at Jean and understood. Jean had spoken to him.

"Scott, who are you talking to?" Alex asked.

"Me" Jean replied. "He was talking to me."

"How did you do that? You spoke in my head." Scott asked inquisitively.

"I'm a telepath. I can read and speak to your mind." Jean replied to him.

"Well, stay out of my head." Scott shot back.

Etta glanced over to Jean, who looked slightly hurt. _'Go and get your drink. He's still shocked about the whole he's a mutant thing. He doesn't mean it offensively. I'll catch up with you'_

' _Okay'_ Jean replied before disappearing off.

Etta turned back to Alex and Scott. She glanced to Alex who was looking at her as if he was trying to recognise her.

"How are you Alex? It's good to see you again." Etta asked with a large smile on her face. "I haven't seen you for years. You still owe me a chocolate milkshake for when I won our water fight."

She smiled as she saw the recognition fall into Alex's eyes. "Etta?"

Etta nodded and suddenly she was swept up into a hug. She was lifted straight off her feet and therefore couldn't help but laugh. "Alex! Put me down"

He laughed but did. "God, you've grown. You weren't even up to my waist the last time I saw you and now look at you. I'm only about a head taller than you now."

"Well it had been over ten years. Where you expecting a ten year old?" Etta asked with a joking smile on her face.

Alex smiled sheepishly. "Maybe. Anyway Etta this is my younger brother Scott. Scott, this is Etta. She lives here."

"Are you a student as well?" Scott asked.

"No, sorry. I'm actually a teacher as of Monday." Etta replied, half to Scott and half to Alex.

"A teacher? What are you teaching?" Alex asked excitedly.

"English and I'll be helping people with their abilities after Charles has helped them with basic control." Etta told him with a large smile.

"Alex!" All three of them turned to see who had called to Alex. It was Hank. He had a big smile on his face.

"Hank McCoy! You're not blue" Alex commented.

Hank looked down nervously with a smile before looking back up. "No. You here to see the professor?"

Alex nodded. "This is my brother Scott. He's just come into his mutation."

Hank nodded. "This way."

Etta looked between them. "I'll catch up with you later Alex. Don't leave without saying goodbye."

"Wouldn't dream of it Etta" Alex called back as Alex, Scott and Hank began to walk the way Etta had come from. Etta turned and continued onto the kitchen where she found Jean.

Jean was sat at the breakfast bar, a cup of coffee in front of her. The coffee pot still had some in for her. She went straight to it and grabbed a mug. She filled the mug to the brim and went and sat next to Jean.

"So, is he a new kid?" Jean asked already knowing the answer.

Etta nodded. "Yeah. If his mutation is anything like his brothers it'll probably be pretty impressive. Do you want to go and see?"

Jean nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, finish your drink. They're with Charles now. I'll keep listening and see where they'll go to demonstrate." Etta said, taking a large gulp of her coffee. "god, I needed that."

Jean laughed taking a large gulp of her own. "Agreed"

As soon as both of them had finished their drinks they headed outside. Etta had fished for the location from Charles' head. They were going by the lake. She and Jean positioned themselves so they were stood behind them, in the shade of a tree.

They watched as the group of Charles, Hank, Alex and Scott talked until the moment when Scott took off his bandages.

"Well it's not an appearance mutation. He's rather good looking" Jean commented as she glanced at Scott's face. "Shame about his attitude."

Etta laughed but it was cut off when Scott opened his eyes and lightning fast beam came shooting out of it, into the lake and then up as he lifted his head up. The beam ended up cutting the tree directly opposite in two. Etta covered her gaping mouth with a hand when she realised the significance of that tree to Charles.

"That was incredible." Jean commented as the tree fell into two, each piece falling in opposite directions.

Etta nodded her head in agreement before linking her mind to Charles'. ' _Sorry about your tree.'_

Charles turned his head over his shoulder to glance at Etta and raised a hand to wave. _'well, it needed a cut anyway'_

Etta laughed a little causing Jean to glance over to her. Etta looked to Jean and explained, "Charles is mourning his tree."

Jean laughed before sobering. "Do you still want help picking out some books? I can help you with my class. I have the afternoon off."

Etta nodded with a large smile. "Yes! I'd appreciate it."

Jean and Etta turned and headed back into the school, heading straight to the library. They spent a few hours sat on the library floor going through book after book, placing some of them into two piles, the definitely yes pile and the maybe pile. They had five in the definitely pile and eleven in the maybe pile and they had worked through at least half of the library books. Most of the books that had been rejected had been placed back into their places by Jean and Etta using Jean's telekinesis. It meant that there was always four books in the air at one time. Two being picked out and two going back to the shelves. That was what Charles wheeled into. He paused instantly before clearing his throat.

The books that had been floating dropped as the attention of both Jean and Etta was pulled to Charles. Charles looked from the dropped books, to the two piles of books, to the two girls who were looking rather sheepish.

"Hi Charles." Etta said, attempting to break the awkward silence that had started when Charles had cleared his throat.

"What _are_ you doing?" Charles asked, a small smile on his face.

"Jean was just helping me pick books for the older students. We've arranged them into these two piles of books. This pile is the books that I don't have strong opinions on so are therefore in the definitely pile." Etta commented, placing a hand on the first smaller pile before moving her hand to the other one and continuing, "This pile are the books where I am slightly more opinionated so they are in the maybe pile. What do you think?"

"I am impressed. Though _Fahrenheit 451_? I thought you were rather opinionated about that book." Commented Charles, glancing at the pile of definitely books.

"Well, yes, but it's a good book and both Jean and I agree that it would be a good book for them to study." Etta explained in response with a smile on her face. "Now I just need to find some for the younger years."

Charles wheeled his way round to one of the book shelves before picking out one of the books and wheeling back to the girls before handing it over to Etta.

"That's what I start them with, the younger ones. It's a good starting point and its interesting enough for them to have a bit of fun with it." Charles said with a smile.

"Thank you" Etta replied with a smile, and Jean smiled when she saw the title of the book and remembered it from her own class with him.

Charles nodded before wheeling back out, though just as he passed through the door he called back. "And don't forget to pick those books off the floor."

Etta and Jean immediately scrambled to pick up the four books, only to hear Charles chuckle at their rushed movements as he wheeled down the hall.

 **AN4: ANOTHER CHAPTER COMPLETED 23/05/2016**

 **REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.**

 **I'll hope to get the next chapter up by the end of 25/05/2016 (UK time)**


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: I went to see APOCALYPSE again yesterday, and this is reason I'm so late at posting – I decided to wait till I'd seen the film again. I realised that I had gotten Erik's daughters name wrong. It is actually Nina and hopefully I've gone back and changed all of the mistakes. If you find a "Mina" in the text, let me know. Also as far as I can tell they haven't given Erik's wife a name so I'm going to keep it as Irena**

 **AN3: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Chapter 2**

Etta relaxed back on Charles' bed, already dressed in her pyjamas as per usual. Charles hadn't returned to his room yet so she was waiting on him. She was staring up at the ceiling of Charles' immaculate looking room. She was starting to get tired. Her eyes were beginning to close. She supposed even if Charles turned up now she'd fall asleep without really talking to him. She sighed slightly before standing up. She opened one of the drawers to pull out his pad of paper. She pulled it out but spotted something underneath. It was two photographs. One was of Charles and a woman, whose eyes looked remarkably familiar. The other was of Charles and a baby. The baby was her, she knew that. She'd seen this photo before but the first one was a mystery. Who was that woman? She flipped it around to see the back of it.

' _Maria and I – PHD Graduation 1962'_ was written in Charles handwriting.

Maria? Etta looked at the woman's eyes again. They were her eyes. They were the same eyes that Etta herself has. Her mother's name was Maria. Was this her mother? She'd never seen her mother's face before. Her Dad had no remaining photographs and Etta had promised to never look inside his head, even to learn about her mother.

She grabbed the first photo and placed it in her dressing robe pocket before writing him a little note telling Charles that she'd been to visit but had now gone to bed.

She then headed back to her own room. As she walked in she noticed that Jean was still awake, sat up, reading a book. Etta took off her robe and placed it on a hook to the left of her bed before walking to her own bed, flopping down onto it.

"What wrong?" Jean asked, not even looking up from her book.

"Charles didn't turn up." Etta replied, sitting up.

Jean nodded. "He must be busy. He and Dr McCoy are probably making something for the new boy."

"I suppose so. I suppose they want something done quickly so he doesn't have to walk around with that silly bandage around his face." Etta agreed. "It would have been nice for him to tell me though."

Jean glanced from over her book. "Something else is bothering you"

Etta glanced nervously to the side before looking forward. "I think Charles knew my mother."

"Surely he would have told you if he did" Jean replied, shaking her head.

Etta leant her head back against the wall, looking up. "I thought so to but he has a photo of who I think is her, of them together. Why would he have a photo of them if he didn't know her"

Jean placed her book down and stood. She came over and sat beside Etta. "I think maybe you and the Professor should talk about it. But I wouldn't worry about it right now. I'd imagine if the Professor is keeping it from you he's got a good reason for it. And perhaps the women isn't who you think it is"

Etta nodded. "You're right. We should get some sleep."

Jean nodded before walking to her bed. "Goodnight Etta."

"'night Jean" Etta replied, lying down on her bed.

As they both settled Etta tapped into Jean's power and used her telekinesis to flip the switch to turn the light out. Etta lay awake for quite a while. She had felt tired when she'd been in Charles' room but now she couldn't help but feel awake. She stood slightly and grabbed her robe. She left the room quietly, wondering down the halls, down to the common room.

She turned on one of the lamps and took a seat next to it. She pulled out the photo and glanced at it, at the woman. She was sure it was her. They had the same eyes. Why would Charles keep something like this from her? He knew how much she wished dearly for someone that could tell her about her mother. Her Dad always said it was painful to remember so she couldn't speak to him and so she always thought there was nobody. She turned the photo over to look at the back of the photo again. 1962. The significance of the year suddenly hit her. It was the year her Dad and Charles met. It was the year that Charles lost both Raven, another person she wished to meet or learn about, and her Dad. Did he loose her mother in a similar way? He never spoke about Raven or her Dad for the same reason her Dad wouldn't talk about her mother. Was that why he never mentioned her?

She'd only been sat for a few minutes before a tremor ran through the house. She glanced around as the chandelier above her, the lamps and other items in the room stilled themselves. What was that? She wondered. Was it an earthquake? She tapped into Charles' ability and searched through the minds of the house, to see if anyone had an answer. But all she saw was people coming out of their rooms in confusion, except for one person. Jean. She tapped into Jeans head and regretted it immediately when a flash of pain and the colour red ran through her head. A horrible image of a city being wiped away like sand being blown from a sandbank rushed through her head as a cry escaped from her lips. Another image of fire and destruction passed as she finally backed out of Jean's head, jumping up to stand. She rushed out of the room, the picture still in her robe pocket. As she passed bedrooms, she saw the kids were stood by the doors, including Scott Summers.

"Back to bed, everyone." She called out to them. Most went in, except from the few.

"What was that?" Scott asked from his door, in her general direction.

"I'm not sure but it's nothing to worry about. Go back to bed. Hank will probably have something for you tomorrow to try out. You won't want to be tired when you do." Etta replied, ushering back into his room. "Do you need help finding the bed?"

"Um… I'll be fine" He went to walk back in, only to bump his shoulder against the wall.

Etta smiled a little before putting a hand on his upper back and directed him back to the bed.

"Thank you" Scott replied quietly.

Etta smiled to herself gently. She realised it must be horrible to be afraid to open your eyes and to go from being able to see one minute to not in another. "Good night Scott."

Etta disappeared out and shut the door before Scott could say good night back to her. Etta continued down the corridor, ushering people back into their rooms as she went.

"Etta" Charles' voice ran out.

Etta turned to see him coming up behind her from the direction of his bedroom. He rolled his wheelchair up to her.

"Is it Jean?" Charles asked.

Etta nodded, rubbing her head at the reminder of what happened when she looked. "I think so. I dipped into her head briefly. It was pure hurt and destruction and it physically hurt. I was just on my way there now to try and wake her up."

Charles nodded and they began to walk together towards Etta and Charles' room. As they went they both ushered people back into their rooms. Hank was waiting outside of Jean and Etta's room, a worried look plastered on his face.

"I've never seen it like this before" Hank warned as he slowly opened the door and both Charles and Etta entered.

Both were stunned. Jean was lying in her bed, stuck in what seemed to be a nightmare but what stunned them was the wall. The wallpaper and posters seemed to me be melting in stripped as Jean tossed and turned. Charles approached Jean first, going to the side closest to the window. Etta followed behind, stopping on the side closest to the door.

"Let me try first Etta." Charles instructed.

Etta only nodded and remained standing as Charles connected his mind with hers. Charles instantly winced, pain hammering into his head. Etta watched as Charles seemed to struggle through the nightmare that Jean was stuck in. He began calling to her and she wondered whether it was meant to be out loud or just in her head. It wasn't working and Charles was beginning to falter to the pain.

Etta tapped into the one power that she had taken from her mother before she was even born and charged up her hand with energy. She quickly tapped it against Jean's forehead and the reaction was instant. Jean's eye shot open. Both Jean and Charles began to steady their breathing.

"Etta" Charles commented, almost in a chastise tone.

"Your way wasn't working." Etta replied, sitting down beside Jean, facing her. She took Jean's hand. "Are you okay Jean?"

"I… I saw the end of the world." Jean replied, her voice wobbly from nerves and fear.

"Jean…" Charles began gently, "It was just a nightmare."

"No. No. It wasn't. It felt… real." Jean argued, a frown on her face as she remembered the worst bits.

"You have a strong mind Jean. Sometime a strong mind can convince itself –" Charles began before Jean cut him off.

"No. It's not just the telepathic or telekinesis. It's something else and its getting stronger. I thought I was getting better. I'm… I'm afraid I'll hurt somebody." Jean said, her eyes glancing down.

Etta glanced over to Charles, asking silently what to do. Charles met her eyes and gave her a small smile before instructing Jean, "Sit up."

Jean did so, sitting herself up, as Charles lifted himself up and out of the chair before placing himself on her bed. He leaned forward so he could speak with her more personally.

"Jean. You have the strongest mind I have ever seen. One day you will be able to control it and then you won't have to worry. We will teach you to control it." Charles told her.

Etta nodded. "We'll all help you control it Jean, and I have faith that you will."

Jean shook her head. "You don't know it's like to be afraid to close your eyes. To know everybody's pain, fear, suffering."

Charles smiled. "Oh, I think I do. It wasn't long ago that I was privy to their pain and fear, to hear those voices"

Etta glanced across to Charles' knowing exactly what point he was saying. She could remember him at lowest point, when he went from injection to injection of serum to avoid the voices. She could remember her struggle when she was young and couldn't control his gift like she should have been able to considering that her mutation means that the control over each mimicked gift was dependant on the control the person had on the gift themselves. For example, Alex Summers has control of his gift now so if she used it she would also have complete control, however if she was to mimic Scott Summers gift, who doesn't have control over his gift than neither would she.

At that point Charles leant forward, placing a hand of Jean's forehead. "You will learn to control your powers Jean."

Jean nodded and sighed.

Charles leaned back and pulled himself back onto his wheelchair. "Do you think you'll be able to get back to sleep?"

Jean took a few breathes and nodded. She slipped her way back down the bed, so her head was resting on her pillow.

Charles then turned to Etta, "You too. I don't know why you were up but perhaps its best to get back to sleep."

Etta nodded. She squeezed Jean's hand before standing and making her way to her own bed. Charles wheeled himself over to her bed, but this time of the same side of the door. They both noticed that Hank had moved from the doorway at some point while they had been talking to Jean. Etta took off her robe and hung it up, making sure that the photo was hidden in the pocket. She climbed into her bed and tucked herself in, her head resting on her pillow. Charles moved so he was as close as he could be in a wheelchair to where her head lay.

"I'm sorry I missed you earlier. One of the other students was having a slight problem." Charles said.

Etta nodded understandingly. "I guessed there was a reason."

"I hope it wasn't that that kept you up" Charles commented lightly.

Etta shook her head. "No. I just couldn't sleep. I didn't really feel tired and I still don't."

Charles smiled lightly. "Try calming your mind. I don't have to be looking in to see that it's up in arms."

Etta sighed. "That's easier said than done."

Charles took her hand, "What's troubling you?"

Etta looked to him and then to Jean who was watching her from where she lay. Jean knew what was troubling her and smiled comfortingly. Etta looked back to Charles.

"I… I was in your room earlier and I fo – um… I…" Etta stumbled her eyes on her hand. She glanced again at Charles before saying. "I was thinking about Dad and Nina."

Charles comforting smile dropped slightly before coming back. "What about them?"

Etta shrugged her shoulders. "I worry about them. I don't know why. I have the feeling something bad is going to happen and they are part of it."

It wasn't a complete lie. She did feel that it just wasn't strong enough of a feeling to keep her awake, however the mother issue was. She'd always wondered about her mother. She'd always wished that she had lived so then she could have known her, but of course not at the expense of never meeting Charles and not having Charles in her life.

"Maybe you should visit again before you start teaching. It might make you feel slightly more relaxed so you can sleep better." Charles commented.

Etta glanced away and nodded slightly. She had not long gotten back from visiting Dad, Irena and Nina. "Maybe. I'll think about it."

Charles smiled before raising a minute. "Wait, we're meant to be calming your mind not adding to the list of things to think about."

Etta smiled and chuckled a little. "You're right. I'll try and stop thinking about it for now."

Charles nodded and turned so he could speak to them both. "Good. I'll leave the both of you to sleep, and should either of you need me, you need only call."

He glanced to Etta and sent to her another message, _'Calm your mind Etta. Everything will be alright.'_

Etta smiled and nodded.

Charles wheeled himself out and shut the door. Both girls waited a few minutes before sitting up in their bed. Etta used Jean's gift to flip the light switch and turned the light on. Etta watched and Jean took notice of the damage she'd done to the room.

"Don't worry about that. It's easily fixable." Etta said with a smiled. "Besides I've done worse. I'm sure Charles hated me during my younger years. I was getting into trouble left, right and centre. The problem of being raised around Sean Cassidy and Alex Summers I suppose."

Jean laughed slightly before sobering. "You didn't tell him."

Etta sighed and glanced down. "No. I guess I don't want to hurt him. I know he went through a bad time in that year and after thinking about it I can only imagine that whatever happened between Charles and my mother, if they did know each other, probably wasn't pretty and possibly painful to remember so I decided not to say anything."

Jean nodded understandingly. "But you still wish to know"

Etta nodded. "Yes, but I can't bring it up with Dad and I don't want to bring it up with Charles. Maybe one day I'll meet the mysterious Raven and I'll be able to ask her. You never know she may turn up at some point."

Jean thought carefully. "Have you ever thought about asking Dr McCoy?"

Etta glanced at Jean. "No. He has been with Charles ever since he had met Dad so if mother was there then Hank would know her too. Maybe I'll ask him. I have a lab session with him the day after tomorrow, I'll talk to him then."

Jean smiled with a teasing glint in her eye. "You should." She grinned and said with a British accent "Then maybe you'll be able to sleep."

Etta laughed at the terrible attempt at mimicking Charles' voice from Jean. "Oh, gosh. That was terrible Jean."

Jean laughed as well. "Yes but it made you laugh."

"And calmed my mind" Etta replied in her own attempt at a British accent.

All she managed to achieve was make them both laugh at another failed attempt at the stereotypical British accent. "We're both terrible."

They continued to laugh together, before slowly relaxing. They both seemed to sigh at the same time which almost made them laugh again.

"We should go to sleep." Etta commented.

"Yeah" Jean replied rather reluctantly.

Etta looked at her sympathetically.

"Can you remember when I first came here? My first night? I was scared to sleep alone so you offered to let me to stay in here with you rather than having my own room. We put the bed in here but I still struggled to sleep. So you put me to sleep. I slept dreamlessly that night. Would you do it again?" Jean asked, her eyes shifted from her hands to Etta.

Etta smiled and nodded, standing up and moving to sit back on the side of Jean's bed.

"Lie down. I won't catch you if you topple forward." Etta joked with a laugh.

Jean smiled and shuffled down her bed so she was lying down. Etta placed her hands on Jean's forward before closing her eyes. If it had been anybody else Etta wouldn't need to focus so much or use physical contact but like Charles had said, Jean's mind was powerful.

"Sleep" Etta whispered as she used both Charles' and Jean's gift to lull her mind into sleep. She watched to ensure it had worked. Jean fell to sleep.

Etta smiled before moving back to her own bed. Etta lay back on her bed. The light off. She could hear the even breathing from Jean. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind just as Charles had said but she found it hard to get that picture from her head.

' _I thought you were going to sleep. I can feel your mind working from here'_ Etta heard Charles' voice in her head.

' _I'm trying'_ Etta replied.

' _Lie back and close your eyes'_ Charles told her.

She moved her head to get comfy on the pillow and then closed her eyes.

' _Now sleep'_ Charles was using the same trick on her that she had on Jean. She didn't even feel herself falling asleep. She just went straight to sleep, her mind calming and her troubles seemingly vanishing.

 **AN4: COMPLETED 28/05/2016. REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK**

 **AN5: I know at some point this may get a bit confusing in this chapter from the prologue but it will be explained during a later chapter. I'm attempting to set up a prequel story about Etta's mother during 1** **st** **class. Let me know if you are interested in reading the prequel.**


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Chapter 3**

When Etta and Jean woke up the next morning they were both relieved to have slept the night though with no more incidents or nightmares. As Jean went to her first class Etta tracked down Hank to ask him about Charles and her mother. She searched the mansion using Charles' gift and followed his mind to find him. She found him near Charles' office speaking with Charles and Alex.

"You're going to her office?" Alex asked to Charles.

Etta approached. "Who's office?"

Charles looked up to her with a smile, obviously attempting to avoid discussing the conversation that she had walked into. "Etta, what are you up to today?"

"If you're leaving the school, can I come with you?" Etta asked hopefully, with a large pleading smile on her face.

Charles looked to her with a small frown. "Etta…"

"I've only ever been here and to Poland. Please Charles. I'll be on my best behavior. I'll just sit and listen" Etta said quickly, taking hold of Charles' arm.

Charles sighed looking to Alex who shrugged. Charles then looked to Hank, who nodded his head forward slightly. Charles then looked back to Etta.

"Okay, but best behavior" Charles said sternly.

Etta nodded, "of course. So where are we going?"

"To see somebody about the tremor that ran through the world last night." Charles replied to her. "The tremor started in Cairo and someone who witnessed it is back in the US today"

"Who is it?" Etta asked curiously.

Charles hesitated, glancing at Hank before looking back at Etta. "Agent McTaggart"

A wide grin came up on Etta face and as soon as Charles saw it he started wheeling himself towards the garage. He pointed to her as he passed her. "Best behavior, remember"

Etta continued grinning but shook her head, "I wasn't going to say a thing"

Etta giggled slightly at the red tint to Charles' cheeks and shared an amused look with both Alex and Hank as they all went to follow Charles.

"So we're going to see Moira? I've never seen you flirt before" Etta asked with a teasing smile on her face.

"Etta, you're walking a very fine line if you want to come with us." Charles replied, a smile on his face as well.

"Okay. I won't say anymore." Etta commented before saying "Well… actually I'm curious. What do you start with? A romantic quote? A thesis? Or do you-"

"Etta!" Charles chastised before glancing back at her. "Are you going to do this the entire way?"

Etta didn't reply but just grinned at him which didn't reassure him.

Charles studied her before shaking his head and continuing towards the garage. In the garage Hank paused as he wasn't going with them. He said his good luck's and goodbyes before heading back up to the school.

Alex picked out a suitable car to take and both him and Etta helped Charles into the front passenger seat. Alex then got into the driver's seat while Etta climbed into the back behind Charles. She fastened her seat belt but then leaned forward to put her head through the middle as they started the car and drove out of the garage and down the drive.

"So where are we finding Agent McTaggart. We're not grabbing her from the airport are we? Because if we are we should have brought Maranda." Etta commented with a smile on her face.

She noticed that Charles looked towards Alex as they pulled out onto the main road. "Is it too late to leave her behind?" Charles commented with a smirk.

Alex quickly glanced back to Etta who was staring meaningfully at him before turning back to Charles to reply, "I think she'd follow behind anyway."

Charles laughed but agreed.

"So, where are we finding her?" Etta repeated her question, more seriously this time.

"CIA office." Charles replied.

"And how are we getting into the CIA office? Don't you need special permission to get into there?" Etta questioned.

"Normally but we're not normal people." Commented Charles in response.

"You're going to do a mind trick again aren't you?" Etta smirked at his answer to any problem such as this. Having control over the mind came in handy sometimes.

Charles just chuckled in response but didn't say anything else.

The CIA office took a while to get to. So much in fact that Etta fell asleep. She woke from a loud shout inside her head. _"Etta!"_

She jumped up alert and managed to bang her head on the seat in front which was now empty. She put a hand on her forehead and then looked across to where Alex and Charles were next to the car, looking in at her smiling and partially laughing on Alex's part. Etta groaned and opened the door. She climbed out and immediately stretched out her muscles.

"God, that was a long drive. She better be amazing Charles." Etta commented tiredly.

Alex grinned while Charles replied almost instinctively "She is."

Etta choked back a laugh at the red blush that ran across Charles' face when he realized he spoke outloud.

"Best behavior Etta." Charles commented embarrassed.

"Yes sir." Etta said, straightening up and wiping the smile of her face. Or at least making it less obvious but still there.

They walked through the main room easily enough. They didn't have to do anything. Getting into the lift was bit trickier. Charles lifted his hand to his head to use his gift when Etta place a hand on his shoulder and asked, "May I?"

Charles smiled and nodded. He waved his hand for her to go ahead.

Etta tapped into his gift and raised her own hand to her head. She focused on one particular person and then did a general sweep. The general sweep made the brains of the rest of the room essentially ignore the fact that their eyes are telling them that the three of them were there. The one individual man walked up to them, under Etta's control, and called for the lift himself. When the lift arrived Etta dismissed the man and make him go back to his work, including him in the general sweep as the three of them stepped or wheeled into the lift.

As the doors shut and the lift began going up Etta dropped the trick on the minds of the those in the main room. She glanced across to Alex who smiled brightly at her and then to Charles who had an immensely proud look on his face.

"That was good Etta." Charles commented.

Etta beamed from the praise.

"So, you haven't seen Moira since 1962?" Alex asked rather suddenly.

"No" replied Charles.

"Not even through Cerebro? You've never looked her up?" Alex questioned almost disbelieving.

"No." replied Charles quickly, too quickly.

"Yes he has. I caught him doing it." Etta corrected sharing a glance with Alex.

"Okay, yes, I did. Once. Well… twice. But that's it. Only to look her up… um, check that she's okay." Charles stammered, attempting to be unabashed.

"Why did you never talk to her again? Do you regret taking her memories?" Alex asked curiously.

Charles sighed. "When I last saw her mutants were still relatively unknown. I thought it would be safer and better for her."

"And better for you?" Etta asked, rather quietly, remembering the way the he was when he lost hope and wondered whether he still would have if he had someone like Moira by his side.

Charles glanced at Etta, and explained with a sad look in his eyes, "Doesn't matter if it was better for me."

The doors opened and Charles led the way with Alex and Etta. The room was full of people working and Etta knew it wouldn't be long before one of them spots them and tells them to stop.

"Everybody take a break" Charles called and suddenly everybody stopped moving frozen as they were. Etta spotted that one man was stuck pouring a cup of tea. She quickly moved away from Charles and Alex, who paused and watched her in confusion, and took the kettle from the man's hand, glancing back to Charles with a disappointed glance. He would have continued to pour the water and ended up burning his hand had she not.

Charles nodded. "Thank you Etta. It seems seeing Moira again has my mind slightly distracted. I didn't see it."

Etta quickly rejoined them as Charles wheeled to the office of Agent McTaggart and knocked on the door. When Moira McTaggart called for them to enter they did so. As Charles entered he spoke, "Moira McTaggart. How lovely… um how wonderful to see you again, I mean for the first time."

Etta laughed in her head at how flustered Charles was getting as she and Alex entered and closed the door behind them. _'Keep going and she'll be swooning in no time.'_

Charles glanced back at her with a glare. _'Etta. Not now.'_

Etta tried very hard to keep a smirk of her face but a small part of it still came through.

"I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself. I'm –" Charles began when Moira stood from her chair and moved around to shake his hand.

"Charles Xavier." Moira said.

Etta could see the flurry of emotions through Charles eyes – his panic and fear about her remembering contrasting with his hope and joy of her remembering.

"I've read all your papers on mutants. I think they are amazing. It's an honor to meet you." Moira continued, not noticing the relief and disappointment on Charles face because of the fact that she couldn't remember.

It was then that Charles noticed the photo's behind her desk. "You have a son."

Etta's heart instantly went out to Charles. While he's held her in his heart for so long, she couldn't remember him in order to do the same and so she had done what everybody else would have done. She'd moved on.

Moira looked back at the photos. "oh yes"

"Does he... um have a husband… um… do you have a husband?" Charles stumbled, his emotions and the fact he was once again in front of Moira making his brain function improperly.

Etta saw the confusion on Moira's face as she answered, "Um. I used to. Unfortunately, this job means I can't always get home to put food on the table at a decent time."

Etta glanced at Charles and lightly slapped his shoulder for the happiness on his face. _'Don't look so happy at her failed marriage.'_

Charles coughed slightly and rearranged his face.

"Um, this is my colleague Alex Summers…" Charles began and paused to allow Moira and Alex to shake hands before continuing. "And this is my daughter and newest colleague Etta um… Xavier"

Etta glanced across to Charles briefly before playing the part and shaking Moira's hand. Etta could understand for him not mentioning her real name. After all the name Lehnsherr is quite well known now thanks to her Dad. It was possible that people may make the connection between the two, but she did wonder why he'd introduced her as his daughter as he'd never done so before.

"It's good to meet you all. Is there something I can help you with?" Moira asked.

Charles opened his mouth to speak but a single glance from Moira made him close his mouth again. Etta rolled her eyes at the obvious feelings that Charles is letting control him.

"We're here to ask you about what happened in Cairo." Etta said when it became obvious that Charles wasn't about to speak.

Moira stood up straight. "I'm afraid that's confidential. In fact, how did you get up here?"

This time Charles didn't falter when he half smirked and said, "I have level five clearance."

Moira instantly became even friendlier and turned around to pick out a file from the cabinet. She turned and placed it down on her desk. She opened the file and spread some pictures of a collection of men.

"Ever since it was revealed to the world that mutants existed there have been groups, almost cult like, that believe mutants existed many many years ago. I've been tracking this one particular group." Moira explained. "They've been looking for evidence and have been going to ancient monument after ancient monument in order to find it."

"And they found it Cairo I'd assume." Etta commented, looking at the images that Moira had placed down of different ancient monuments.

"Well, they certainly found something. These hieroglyphics speak of a powerful man. The first." Moira replied.

"The first what?" Alex asked, in order to gain clarification.

"The first mutant." Moira replied.

"I thought mutants developed in this century." Alex commented, a confused frown on his face.

"Not according to these. This man is described as all powerful and that he was in complete control over the world. This rock dates the man back to before Christ and these cults believe that this man will return again" Moira explained, placing down more photos of a gold triangle with hieroglyphics carved in.

"Surely he can't have survived this long in incognito." Etta argued in almost disbelief. "It's practically impossible in this day and age."

"Or survived this long, age-wise" Alex agreed, nodding his head.

"Well, according to these hieroglyphics he transferred his conscious from body to body. When one body gets old and crippled he'll transfer his conscious into another younger body. It's possible that some were humans, but others were mutants, allowing him to take on their mutation. And amass a collection of gifts." Moira explained, her hands pointing to various area of the hieroglyphics as she explained what they said.

"An all-powerful mutant" Charles summarised as the first thing he'd contributed to the conversation.

"Not only that but he would always be found with four loyal followers. That would serve him loyally and protect him should a dangerous situation arise. In return he would imbue them with powers." Moira continued serious, her expression easily said that she believed this to be possibly true.

"Like the four horsemen of Apocalypse. They could have gotten that from the bible." Alex commented.

"Or the bible took it from him." Moira suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

"But why or how would he return again?" Etta asked, her eyes searching through the pictures, trying to memorise the pictures.

Moira sighed. "All the hieroglyphics say that wherever he went, wherever he moved, wherever he controlled, he brought destruction and chaos. He'd collapse entire societies, make extinct entire species. One part was highly specific. It states that he cleanses the earth, clearing it for the next set of kings and queens. If he returned today or when that tremor went through the Earth, to cleanse the world…"

"He'd bring about the apocalypse." Etta commented, realising what Moira was attempting to tell them but then also remembering what she had seen only the night before. Jean's nightmare… or vision.

"The end of the world" Charles agreed.

Charles and Etta glanced at each other in worry, both of them thinking back to Jean's nightmare.

' _Could it be? Jean's –'_ Etta asked.

' _I don't know. If there is such a mutant out there Cerebo would find him'_ Charles replied to her.

Charles turned to Moira. "There may be a way for us to get even more information, possibly conformation about it, but it does require us to go to my school. Would you willing to join us?"

Moira paused for a second, obviously thinking it over when she nodded. "Yes, let me just inform my boss I'm going out on the field. I'll only be a minute. Feel free to wait in here"

Charles nodded. "We shall."

Moira quickly left, closing the door behind her. Almost straight after Etta felt a sharp pain in her chest, where her heart was, like something had been pierced through it. Etta gasped, her hand flying to the area. The pain was almost crippling as her legs buckled, dropping her down to her knees. Both hands were now clutching her chest. Her eyes watering from the pain.

Both Charles and Alex moved towards her.

"Etta?" Charles called out in alarm. Alex got the closest to her, and placed a hand on her back and then another grabbing her arms, trying to pull them away from her chest.

Suddenly the pain in her chest faded but what followed was far worse. The pain wasn't physical. It was mental. Sadness, fear, hate, anger and devastation. This pain was far more crippling, it forced the tears that had just been gathering to spill and fall down her cheeks in rivers. She didn't hear Charles call for Alex to help him from his wheelchair and onto the floor next to Etta.

' _Etta… Etta'_ Charles' voice called through her pain. _'Etta… I know it hurts. I can feel the pain. Try to calm it… Please... Etta'_

Etta couldn't. The pain was too intense. But she somehow knew it wasn't hers. It was coming from somebody else, through her gift, or through Charles' gift. She needed to shut it off. She needed to turn off Charles' gift. She'd only ever turned it off fully twice before.

' _Please help… I need to turn it off'_ Etta called loudly through to Charles.

She felt Charles' fingers on the sides of her temples, attempting to slip into her own gift, to control her head. She felt his comforting presence in her mind, soothing the pain. And just as his soothing covered the pain and my mind began shutting off the pain one thought, or essence appeared into my head. A familiar presence.

Erik Lehnsherr. Her Dad. That was where the pain was coming from.

The pain was gone, but she felt so tired and drained. Her vision went dark even to the calls of her name from both Charles and Alex.

 **AN3: Completed 29/05/2016**

 **Review and let me know what you think.**

 **Thank you to** Mrs Tall Blonde and Dead **for the good idea of Etta feeling the pain. I had been debating how to make Etta aware of what was happening to Erik and the rest of her family.**


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Chapter 4**

When Etta woke she was still in the exact same spot. Charles was sat behind her, his legs placed to her left. She was leant back against him with her head lay on his shoulder. His arms were wrapped around her supportively. She groaned as she opened her eyes.

"Etta." Charles spoke with a relieved tone.

Etta spotted that Alex was knelt on her left and Moira had re-joined them and was knelt on her right. She had a glass of water in her hand which she offered to Etta. Etta smiled before taking it.

"What happened?" Alex asked, his eyes still worried about Etta.

"I don't know. I felt a sharp pain in my chest like someone had ran me through with sword and then… god it was horrible. It was like the world had collapsed around me." Etta replied "There was just so much pain and hate and just plain devastation."

"But where did it come from?" Moira asked curiously. Etta than realised that Charles must have had to clue Moira in on that fact Etta was a mutant and that the pain wasn't her own.

Etta glanced back to Charles before replying. "It was Dad. At least the emotional pain was."

Charles' eyes widened. "Erik?"

Etta nodded. "I have to find him. And Nina. What if something bad has happened to them?"

Charles nodded in understanding. "Check on them, then come straight back. I might need your help back at the mansion."

Etta nodded, climbing to her feet. She glanced around and spotted the window. As she and Alex helped Charles back into his wheelchair she glanced at Moira.

"May I use your window?" Etta asked her.

Moira looked confused but nodded.

Once ensuring that Charles was sorted in this wheelchair, she pressed a kiss to his forehead and stepping up to the window. Thankfully it opened sideward to create a large gap so she opened it as far it would go and stepped up onto the windowsill. She took one more glance back at Charles who nodded reassuringly before jumping. She clicked her heels to prepare her shoes when she was far enough away from the window. Electric bolts fired from the bottom of her feet, while light spiralled up her leg in an intricate pattern. The only thing that stops her shoes from disintegrating from the bolts was the fact they had been specially designed by Hank to channel the bolts through the bottom of the boots. The bolts thrusted her forward and upwards at an immense speed. She went at a speed only matched by a lightning bolt. It made travelling from America to Poland every few months easy and quick but it charged her body with energy to the point where she had to release it into the atmosphere as she went, meaning she could never travel with company.

As she approached the house she slowed. She passed over the woods behind the house and dropped onto the grass of their back lawn. It was shockingly quiet as the sun began to set. The animals were silent, the birds, the insects. It was silent and that worried her. Her worry increased when she saw that the back door was wide open. She rushed inside.

"Dad! Irena! Nina!" She called as she rushed through the house, not daring to use Charles' ability to find them in case she was blinded by pain again. As she entered the main bedroom she noticed a half packed suitcase on the bed, two of the drawers from the cabinet of drawers were placed on the floor empty, the contents of which were on the bed. She spotted that three passports had been placed on the bed, presumably ready to be used.

They were about to leave but it looks like they never got chance. She rushed back out. Where could they be?

She shot back in the air as soon as she was outdoors. She had no choice she opened up her mind to Charles' gift to try and find them. What worried her was she couldn't find Nina or Irena but she'd locked on to her Dad. He was at the factory that he worked at. The pain was still there but not as crippling as before. As she headed towards the factory she passed back over the woods, but this time she spotted something that shouldn't have been there. Bodies. Policemen.

Etta lowered down, looking at the mass of bodies in front of her. They were policemen but they didn't have badges on them. She couldn't help but think that as odd. It was then she noticed that they had no metal on them at all. She knew instantly that Dad had been revealed as Magneto if they had been knowledgeable enough to not bring metal with them. But it didn't explain the pain. She saw they had all fallen on their backs, they had all been facing the same direction.

She turned around and instantly wished that she hadn't. She'd found them. The two people she couldn't locate in her mind. Irena and Nina. They lay there, Nina on top of Irena. Etta was horrified to see the end of an arrow sticking out of Nina's back. It had been that that she had felt. She had felt the arrow go through Nina.

She was about approached them when she could hear people approaching from the main road. Men looking for the policeman. She knew she couldn't be found here. She glanced at Nina once more, her eyes watering, as she shot back up into the air.

She needed to find her Dad. She could feel his pain spiking again, but the anger and hate were getting more prevalent as she went on. She had a cold feeling down her spine. He was going to do something. Something far more drastic that killing those policemen.

She rushed to the factory, noticing that all the doors and windows were shut and flew around the building. She had to find a way inside. She could feel that the machinery had been shut off, possibly by Erik. She locked onto Erik's mind, trying to sooth, even with her own raw emotions. He was going to kill them. And as painful as his emotions were they didn't deserve to die. She lined herself up to one of the weakest areas of the factory. She shot forward, turning to make her feet smash through first. She smashed through the right bit but instantly saw that she had misjudged what was going on in the factory.

She could see four other mutants stood with Erik. The noise she had made to break through the wall and caught their attention and the gazes of the four strangers and her Dad was on her. Then she spotted the floor. Limbs stuck out of it at odd angles. Limbs of the workers at this factory. She looked horrified at Erik but she saw no remorse in his gaze before looking at the other four. She used her own ability to learn theirs and she knew instantly the one in the middle was the one to do this. She tapped into his ability, raising her hands and pulled the men from the floor. All of the men were still breathing, fear running through them, making them freeze.

Etta used her father's gift to open all the doors in the place and instantly yelled at the men "What are you doing? Go"

They still didn't move from fear. Etta frowned and tapped into Charles' gift, entering each of their minds, making them move towards the exit at the fastest speed that each one of them could go. Etta noticed her father jolt forward, his hand going towards the door that they were all running for but Etta wouldn't allow him to do anything. She kept her own powers holding the door open against his before shooting a bolt of energy at Erik, making him fly back. She refused to lower herself to the ground, well aware that the man in the middle could easily suck her into the floor just as he had done with the factory workers.

All of the men got out safety and then she finally let go of both their minds and the door letting it drop. Erik got back onto his feet. His anger so obvious Etta didn't need Charles' gift.

"Why did you do that?" Erik growled to her.

"You just tried to murder innocent men." Etta growled back, her own anger at his stupidity. "Do you really think Irena and Nina would want you to start murdering innocent men in a fit of rage?"

"They are the reason Irena and Nina are dead" Erik shouted, pointing to door that the workers had just left out of.

"No, the policemen in the woods are and you've already killed them. The men in this factory, whatever part they played would never have wanted the blood of Nina and Irena on their hands so they don't deserve to die." Etta replied as calmly as she could.

"You poor naive child" the man in the middle finally spoke. Etta finally took a good look at him. The most obvious thing was that he was blue. He was wearing strange armour and seemed to have wires sticking out of his head and went into his armour.

"Excuse me?" Etta exclaimed at the rudeness of the man.

"I said –" he began but stopped when Etta cut him off.

"I heard what you said. Who are you to call me a naive child?" Etta asked frowning at the man's audacity to go and begin to say the words again.

"I have gone by many names in the many centuries I have been alive. And because my daughter, you have been misled by false gods into believing the way you do." The man replied.

Etta's eyes widened when he said centuries and she linked that with the massive amount of different abilities that she could feel inside of him. He was the one. The one Moira had been telling them about. The one with the four followers. But then she noticed that he only had three. She glanced between him and Erik.

She glared at the man. He was going to recruit Erik.

"I know who you are. Do your slaves know what you intend to bring upon this world?" Etta asked, nodding her head to the three people stood behind him. A tanned skinned woman with a white Mohican on her head who could control parts of the weather – lightening, wind, storms. A pale woman with long dark hair with purple ends who was able to create a sword of purple energy. A man with curly blond hair and metal wings on his back.

The man looked at her curiously. "And what do I intend to bring to this world my daughter?"

"Destruction. Death. The apocalypse." Etta said, her mind flashing through the things she'd seen in Jeans nightmare.

The man glanced at her looking almost amused. "I intend to cleanse the Earth. Restore the power of the world to those that deserve it. To those that should be the Gods."

"Yeah, because the bad guys never say that." Etta sarcastically commented. "You don't intend to cleanse it. You intend to destroy it. I think it hilarious that you think the people of the modern world will let you. You'll be hunted, caught, betrayed, just as were many years ago. Only this time you'll be destroyed for good."

The man seemed to be getting angrier and angrier as she continued. He seemed to decide to ignore her and turned Erik.

"She has been misled too far but what about you? I came here because we think the same. Your performance in front of the whole world told me that. Will you join me my son?" The man said to Erik. "You can get your revenge."

At just that word Etta knew that he had Erik's interest.

"Don't listen to him. He only intends to use you." Etta commented.

She saw that the man was getting bother by her as he nodded to the boy with the wings behind her. He shot into the air with his wings. Etta frowned as he growled at her and shot forward. Etta didn't move a muscle except to raise a palm using Erik's gift to latch onto his metal wings. She used the gift to hold it in place. As he came to a halt he growled in frustration and anger towards Etta and began twisting his body, attempting to get control of his wings again. She tried to Charles' ability on his mind to put him to sleep but came up to a block. She frowned and tried again. There was a wall. She was being blocked. She decided on another technique. She shot forward her arm charged with energy. She hit the boy in his chest, bolts running through his body causing him to yell out in pain. She let go of his wings and he dropped like a stone to the floor. He wasn't unconscious like she had originally planned but he was struggling to stand back up.

The pale girl with long black hair with purple tips leapt forwards, her purple sword forming and turning into a whip. She threw it up, attempting to hook Etta but Etta purely used the same ability to create a purple sword, cutting straight through the woman's whip. The woman looked up astonished. Etta changed her own sword to a whip and caught the woman around the waist. Etta pulled on the whip pulling the woman up to her. Etta kicked her back when the woman came close enough. She let go of the whip, sending the woman flying backwards, and landing on the boy with the wings who had just about picked himself up.

"You have an incredible gift" the man said before the final woman could fight. "Join me, help me. We could change the world together. Help me and I can help you expand your gift, make you unstoppable."

Etta just laughed, her head tilting back before looking back at the man and commenting "I know what you do. Transferring from body to body, collecting powers. Gaining the loyalty of your four slaves by enhancing their powers, but never enough that they might be able to overthrow you. There are thousands of men like you, taking everything you can and giving only what you need to. In my opinion its men like you that ruin this world, that bring this world to ruin."

"I can see you will not be persuaded." The man commented in almost disappointment as his two followed got themselves off the floor and moved to stand behind him once again.

Etta just continued to glare.

The man and his followers turned around, a purple sphere appearing around a majority of them, excluding their back. The man turned back glancing at Erik.

"Well? Do you wish for your revenge?" he man said.

Erik glanced at her and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry Etta." He said.

Etta shook her head. "No you're not."

Erik glanced at her once before stepping into the sphere behind the man. Etta glared at all of them until the sphere closed behind them and they disappeared in ripples. Etta was stuck in her frustration until one of the machines to her left exploded in a burst of sparks. She glanced at it, sighing before moving back to the hole she'd created to get in. She headed out, clicking her heels. She shot through the sky back towards the mansion. If she hurried she'd get back at a similar time to Charles, Alex and Moira.

And so did. She touched down at the front of the mansion just as Alex was helping Charles out of the car and into his wheelchair. Charles looked over to her as she landed and approached. He could see and feel the turmoil that she was going through. He could see the slight glow in her skin, she was fully charged.

"Etta?" he asked, "What happened?"

The other two turned to face her as well.

She shook her head, tears appearing. "Irena and Nina are dead. The local police did it. Dad… he killed them and he was going to kill more."

Charles looked at her sadly. "And did he?"

Etta shrugged, "He tried. I stopped him. He wasn't very happy with me for doing so. He blamed them for the local police coming after him."

Charles rolled up to her, reaching out to take her hand. "Etta, Erik will calm down. And when he does he will see sense. I promise you."

Etta shook her head. "He's with Apocalypse."

Charles frowned, "Who?"

Etta glanced from Alex to Moira and then back to Charles. "I don't know his name. The mutant we talked about. The one with the four followers. He was there when I arrived. Dad went with him as one of the four. I don't know where they went. I felt his powers. He had so many. And he's going to do something terrible."

Charles' eyes widened. "We can find him. We can use Cerebro. Will you go and get Hank for me?"

Etta nodded and headed inside. She noticed that Alex and Moira where following with Charles but Etta split off in the direction she could feel Hank's mind in. He was in a common room like room. She walked in.

"Hank, Charles wants…" she began but stopped when she saw Hank wasn't alone. "Oh sorry to bother you, but Charles wants you. He's going to use Cerebro."

Hank stood, glancing from Etta to the blond woman sat on the couch. He nervously pushed his glasses up. "I'll come now." He glanced between the women again. "Um, Etta, this is Raven. Raven, this is…"

"Etta Maria." Raven spoke, standing up herself.

Etta nodded, stepping forward to shake Raven's hand when she changed her mind. She moved forward and hugged Raven instead. "Thank you for bringing me here."

She pulled back to see Raven looking at her softly. "It was for the best."

Etta nodded, still not emotionally stable enough to smile. "You may want to come with us to Cerebro. It's about Dad."

Raven startled. "What do you know?"

Etta's eyes watered as she glanced between Raven and Hank. "His wife, Irena, and daughter, Nina, are dead. And now he's on some revenge path with a very dangerous mutant that wants to end the world. Charles is going to find them through Cerebro."

Both nodded and Hank opened up an arm for Etta. Etta moved to his side and under his arms so his arm was across her shoulders. He pulled her in close for comfort. She placed her arm around his waist.

"Everything will be okay Etta." Hank told her, quietly, though Raven still heard as they walked through the door.

Etta nodded, glancing back at Raven. She wondered why Raven was here. Was she here to see Charles? She then realised that Charles didn't know that Raven was here.

' _Charles, Raven is here, about Dad. I'm bringing her up with us.'_ Etta told him through her mind.

' _Raven?'_ Charles asked back, almost startled.

' _Yes, we're on our way up now.'_ Etta replied, before turning to Raven.

"Um, they brought Moira back with them. It was awkward, Charles was acting like a flustered school boy. It's a shame that he wiped her memories. He's still besotted with her." Etta commented, mainly to Hank but she could tell Raven was listening too.

Etta, Hank and Raven were silent for the rest of the way as they walked down towards Cerebro. Erik, Alex and Moira were waiting by Cerebro's doors.

"Raven" Charles said happily, a smile on his face.

"Charles" Raven replied, her tone not quite as happy as Charles'. "You heard about Erik."

Charles nodded a frown coming onto his face. "We'll see what I can do from Cerebro."

Raven nodded.

They all turned to face the X on the Cerebro doors. Etta glanced around. She couldn't help but feel wrong. Like she was somehow making a mistake. That they were doing something they shouldn't.

 **AN3: CHAPTER COMPLETED 29/05/2016**

 **REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. Thinks are going to change now. Soon things will be diverging from the film.**


	6. Chapter 5

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Chapter 5**

Charles entered the room first, Hank and Etta were following closely behind. Alex and Raven were next while Moira brought up the rear, looking around at the room in confusion and awe.

"Now Moira, I'm going to have to ask you not to tell anybody about this." Charles said as he approached the desk.

"I don't even know what this is" Moira replied, still looking around and trailing behind.

Etta reached the desk next and lifted the helmet ready to hand it over to Charles as Charles and Hank sorted out the settings. Charles looked to Etta for helmet as the others gathered around. Etta however hesitated.

' _Etta, I need the helmet'_ Charles spoke to her in her head.

Etta looked to the ground, _'I can't help but feel we're making a mistake. I have a bad feeling in my gut'._

' _It will be fine Etta. This is the only way to find where Erik has gone and to convince him to stop.'_ Charles replied, he reached out placing a hand over one of hers which was holding the helmet up.

' _Do you think he will listen to you?'_ Etta asked.

' _No, but he may listen to us both.'_ Charles replied, taking her hand and placing it on his shoulder. _'Connect to my mind and you'll be in Cerebro with me.'_

Etta handed Charles' helmet to Charles, nodding with the plan before completely connecting her mind to his. This wouldn't be the first time she had used Cerebro, but it would be the first time she's been connected to Charles' mind as he used it. The first time she had used it was when Charles was training with her with Cerebro and they had discovered Jean. Etta had accidentally focussed in on her and learnt of her uncontrolled abilities.

While it wasn't her first time the rush of power and the sight of the people in the world always blew her head away. She tried to not to be distracted by the stray thoughts from both Charles' mind and the minds of the people she was now connected to.

"Wow, what is this?" Moira asked in awe at what she was seeing.

"These are all the humans of the world." Charles began, speaking about the white lights before Etta made it switch to the red.

"And these are all the mutants." Etta continued, not even sparing Moira a glance.

"Through Cerebro we're all connected. Their minds and ours."

"Where are you Erik?" Charles spoke out loud as both Charles and Etta began to search for the mind they both knew so well.

"There" Etta spoke out loud pulling forward the little red man in the shape of her Dad.

"Let me speak to him Etta." Charles said gently. "Erik. Oh god. I'm so sorry. I can feel your pain. Come home. We can help you."

' _No, you can't Charles.'_ Erik replied which both of them heard but none of the others.

"Erik, come home. I can help you. They would not have wanted this. And you know Etta doesn't want this" Commented Charles, eyes resting firmly on the shadow of Erik that was above them.

' _You can't help me. Whatever good you saw within me, I buried it with my family. Etta is yours, she was never mine. They took everything I had left from me, and so we shall take everything from them.'_ Erik replied and as soon as he had finished both Charles and Etta began to feel the others present.

Etta recognised the feeling. It was him.

"Hank, there are others with him." Charles commented out loud for the benefit of the others.

"It's him. It's Apocalypse. Charles, turn it off." Etta called alarmed. As Charles had the helmet she couldn't turn it off. It had to be Charles, he had the controls.

She could feel Apocalypse's influence taking over and a sharp pain registered in her head, causing her to cry out in pain, dropping to her knees. Her hands reaching up to her head. Raven was beside her instantly. Her mind temporarily disconnecting from Charles.

"Etta, what's happening?" Raven asked her, just as alarmed as Etta.

"I've never felt power like this before." Charles commented as Etta stood back up and reconnected. Her mind tried to fight the influence attempting to take control of Cerebro.

"He's trying to take control. Charles, turn it off." Etta called out loud. "Charles!"

"What's going on?" Moira cried from the back of the group her eyes watching the two telepaths in worry.

"Someone is essentially hacking into Cerebro." Hank explained as he began fiddling with the buttons.

"Why?" Raven asked, not moving from her spot beside Etta.

"To connect." Hank answered solemnly.

"Hank get Charles out of the helmet." Etta cried in alarm as she felt all of the Charles' control vanish from Cerebro.

Hank reached out to the helmet to take it off but just pulled away as he was shocked by electricity. Etta could only watch in horror as Cerebro took control of the minds of servicemen from around the world. The ones that turned the keys, that pressed the buttons. The ones that fired the nuclear missiles. Etta rushed to slip in between Charles and the machine. She placed both of her hands on the side of the helmet. The electric shocks that it gave off didn't harm her body due to her mother's gift, but she could feel the sparks travelling through her hands and up her arms. She attempted to fight for the control, managing to free the minds of several servicemen, but the strength of the opposing force just got stronger and stronger. She couldn't fight it.

From her outer eyes she could see Hank attempting the smash the machine to pieces, trying to break the circuitry but it wasn't working. She knew that it had to be Charles that shut it down.

She tried to reach for Charles mind. Together they would be able to fight it and when she found him that was what they did but it was too late. Missiles from around the world had been laughed. All of them.

"Alex! Destroy it. Wreak havoc." Charles called out before speaking in her mind, _'Etta, get out of my head. This will hurt.'_

Etta didn't. She stayed.

Alex pushed his chest forward, his blasts appearing from his chest, ripping through entire sections of Cerebro. Charles had been right, it hurt to be inside his head while Cerebro was being destroyed.

The others could hear Charles' pained screams as his mind was still attached to the machine but they knew they couldn't stop, and to make it worse Etta was cringing down on the floor, her hands on her head. Cerebro began to shut down. Finally, it turned off. Alex immediately stopped as Hank pulled the helmet from an unconscious Charles' head. Etta wobbled to her feet but immediately lost balance and was only held up right by Raven.

"Help me get him out of here." Hank instructed to Alex.

Moira came to Etta's other side as her head pounded and her vision blurred. Moira and Raven had to practically carry her out. And the further they went the clearer her view became but it never became clear and the floor never felt stable.

As soon as they passed the doors and the doors shut they all converged around Charles. Hank crouched down on his right hand side. He grabbed Charles' wrist to check his pulse and let out a relived sigh when he felt that it was there and steady. He glanced at Etta and was happy to see her eyes were open if not a little unfocussed.

Suddenly a noise came from behind them, causing them all to turn around. A purple ripped came into existence before a shimmering purple sphere appeared with five people stood inside it. Etta recognised it immediately and attempted to stand up straighter. But her vision blurred.

There were no words spoken as both sides starred each other down until Erik reached forward with his hand and lifted Charles' metal wheelchair off the ground. Etta immediately leaped forward and took hold of the wheelchair with her own metallic abilities but either she was too exhausted or weak as the chair continued to move towards Erik, just at a slower speak than what she was sure it would have otherwise.

Raven stepped forward calling "Charles!"

Alex began to run forward, following Charles, but as soon as Charles reached the five of the them the purple sphere began to appear again. Alex, in desperation, charged up and shot out, despite the shouts from both Hank and Etta, "Alex, no!", "No!". The sphere disappeared with Charles inside and Alex's blast went straight through the doors on the other side. It must have hit Hank's plane engine because there was a large blast, the explosion rocketing through the hallway.

Etta had barely a second to blink and she knew that would be it, but as the blast grew closer, her vision blurred much more drastically than before and suddenly she was outside with the rest of the students, teachers, Raven, Hank, Moira and a silver haired kid she'd never seen before as the mansion exploded into bits.

There was a murmur around the group, and Etta could hear that it wasn't about the explosion. She glanced around and noticed that the student's attention was on Raven, who stood in her glorious blue form. Etta starred unabashed at Raven, it being the first time she'd seen Raven's blue skin in real life rather than on a TV screen.

"They look up to you" Hank said to Raven, nodding to the kids.

"I can think of better people to look up to." Raven replied as her body changed back to her blond form.

It was then Etta's attention was brought to the silver haired man that she'd never seen before.

"Hey beautiful." The boy said to her. "And what's your name?"

"Etta Lehnsherr." Etta replied, making sure to use her last name. It usually made people move away pretty quickly when they realised she was related to Magneto.

"Lehnsherr, as in Erik Lehnsherr?" the boy asked in shock.

Etta nodded. "He's my Dad. I don't mean to be rude but who are you? I've never seen you here before"

"Oh, I just arrived. Peter Maximoff. I came looking for the professor. I was told I could find him here." The boy, Peter, said.

Etta's frowned sadly. Hank came to her side saying, "They took him. I'm sorry"

They were interrupted by a car pulling up. Etta was relatively surprised but relieved to see Jean in the front passenger seat. She recognised Scott in the driver's seat and wasn't really surprised, though she'd never seen the glasses that he was wearing. She was pretty happy to see that it meant he could obviously see without blasting somebody. In the back seat was Jubilee and a lad Etta didn't know but could easily see at least part of his mutation – his blue skin. The four of them got out of the car quickly, looking at the mansion in shock. Jean ran to Etta's side, her hand taking hers in comfort. Scott however ran forward asking, "Where's Alex?"

Etta looked around and her breath caught when she spotted that Alex wasn't there. She looked back at the hole where the mansion had used to be.

"I'm sure I got everybody" Peter commented, shrugging his shoulders in a sad way in case he had missed somebody.

Hank looked at him sadly. "Alex was closest to the blast."

Etta watched sadly as Scott realised what that meant for Alex. He rushed towards where the mansion had been. Jean began running after him and as Jean and Etta were still holding hands Etta ended up running as well. Etta noticed that the guy she didn't know with blue skin also followed them.

They ran right to the edge of the gaping hole where the mansion had been where Scott stopped. Jean, Etta and the boy with the blue skin stopped a few feet behind him, watching him in sympathy. Scott went down to his knees, taking off his glasses to wipe away a few tears. He took a deep breath before putting his glasses back on, looking out at the hole.

Etta stepped forward and knelt next to him. "I'm sorry Scott. I know how you are feeling right now and if you need to talk I will always be willing to listen."

"How? How do you know what I'm feeling?" Scott asked, half aggressively and half sad.

"My sister, well, half-sister Nina was killed this morning by the Polish police. I felt her pain and I went to investigate. I saw her. Lying there. The arrow that killed her was still here. So I do know how you feel because right now I feel the same." Etta replied, her eyes sad and watery as she looked out to the expanse of space in front of her.

Scott went to say something else when a helicopter flew overhead. Etta noticed that Jean's face fell in shock and worry and Etta knew instantly that she'd heard something that wasn't normal or good.

"Etta, Scott, Kurt. Quickly!" Jean said, grabbing Scott and Etta's arms and pulling them up and towards part of a wall that still stood. The boy with blue skin that Etta presumed was called Kurt followed them. Jean was closest to a corner with Etta next to her. Scott was next to Etta and Kurt was slightly behind her, glancing over her shoulder.

' **Emergency medical aid is on its way. Emergency medical aid is on its way.'** A woman's voice came from the helicopter as it went over the heads of crowd and landing just beyond them.

"Something doesn't feel right about this." Etta commented to the others.

"I agree. Stay low." Jean replied, as all of them ducked down a bit more so they couldn't be seen.

The doors to the helicopter opened and men began to pour out. Etta could see Moira moving forward, waving her hands. Suddenly she saw a man yell something and collection of men fire some sort of gun. Etta instinctively put an electric blue shield around them, pulling them down so the shield could be lower so it could wouldn't been seen over the wall.

"What was that?" Scott asked scared and worried.

Etta dropped the shield and glanced up. She gasped as she saw everybody down on the ground. The men walking through the collapsed students and teachers. One of them, the one that had shouted, was pointing to certain people – Hank, Raven, Moira and Peter.

Jean had the sense to pull Etta down just before somebody turned to look. "They're heading this way."

Etta glanced to Jean. "Can you cover us? My mind is sore from being pulled out of Cerebro."

Jean nodded and placed a hand on her temple. Etta and Jean had learnt this trick from Charles together. She entered the man's mind as he walked up and looked around the area they were sat in. He glanced right over them and walked away.

Jean removed her hand and looked to Etta who nodded. "Good work"

The four of them then lifted their heads up to look over the wall again.

"They're taking them away. Why and where are they taking them?" Jean asked to herself and to the others.

"We need to follow them." Etta said. "But how can we get in that helicopter?"

"I could get us in" Kurt spoke up from his space behind Etta.

Etta glanced back at him and used her ability to analyse his mutation. Teleportation. She grinned. "Yes you can. Can you get us all in there?"

Kurt nodded, offering her his hand. "Grab hold."

Etta took his hand. Jean then took hold of Kurt's arm while Scott took hold of his other one. Transporting was a strange feeling. One minute you were in one place, then you felt a tingle before appearing somewhere else. They looked around to see they had made it inside the helicopter. Jean already had her hand on her head to make anybody who looked into the helicopter look straight over them just as before.

Etta looked back and saw that Peter, Hank and Moira were placed side by side on the floor while Raven had been strapped into a shelf. The door closed. Etta and Jean leaped forward and grabbed hold of the four people. Scott then held onto their shoulders. Kurt took hold of Scott's shoulder and attempted to move. He was shocked in himself. Nothing happened. The three of them glanced back at him.

"Kurt, get us out of here." Scott said.

"I can't. When the door closed. I can't teleport." Kurt replied, worried.

"Jean, get into the pilots head and stop him." Scott said to Jean, clearly beginning to panic.

Jean placed a hand to her forehead and Etta did the same tapping into Charles' head. Both attempted to get in but couldn't move past the helicopter walls.

"I can't. There's something blocking me." Jean replied.

"I'm the same. It must be in the walls, some anti-abilities shield like thing." Etta commented, glancing at the walls.

"So we're stuck in here?" Scott asked.

Etta glanced to him. "As soon as they open those doors, we'll get out the same way we got in. They won't know we're here. We'll break them out of whatever these people are going to put them in and then go and get Charles."

Scott nodded his head, sitting back against the fencing that surrounded them. Jean went and sat next to him while Kurt sat opposite him. Etta took a seat next to Kurt and opposite Jean. She glanced across to Kurt and saw that he was looking at her too. They both smiled embarrassed at being caught and quickly looked away again. Etta looked again not long after.

"We've never met. I'm Etta." Etta told him with a smile.

"I'm Kurt. I arrived today with Raven." Kurt replied with a matching smile showing off his blue tinted teeth.

Etta glanced to Raven then back to Kurt. "Do you know her well?"

Kurt shook his head. "She saved me from humans that were making me fight other mutants. And she brought me to the school."

Etta nodded. "She brought me to the school too."

Jean perked up at that. "She's the one that brought you to the school?"

Etta nodded. "Yeah, she knew my parents. My Mom died in childbirth so when my Dad was arrested she decided that the best and safest place for me was with Charles Xavier as he used to be friends with my Dad. I was three months old at the time so I don't remember it but she put a letter in my bassinette. Charles has raised me ever since at the school." She gave the extra details for the sake of Scott and Kurt as they didn't know the circumstances around her coming to the school.

She glanced at Scott, "Alex was there at the time. There is – or was a photo of him attempting to feed me as I screamed my head off in the mansion. Apparently he used to say I was a terror."

Scott glanced at her for a second before nodding in appreciation before glancing back down, some tears escaping his glasses.

Etta turned her attention back to Kurt when she noticed something flicking about in the corner of her eye. She glanced down and saw that Kurt had a tail. She'd never seen a mutant with a tail before and she couldn't help but look at it. Kurt must have seen her looking as the tail flicked up and onto his lap. Etta's eyes instantly went up to meet Kurts.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I've just never seen a mutant with a tail before." Etta commented. "Can you control it like another muscle?"

Kurt nodded and flicked it towards her.

"Can I…?" Etta asked holding hand out.

Kurt nodded flicking his tail towards her hand. She reached out a finger and touched it. It felt like ordinary skin.

"Wow. It must be useful." Etta commented with a smile towards Kurt.

Kurt smiled back and nodded. "It can be."

They sat in silence then. Etta saw out of the corner of her eyes that Kurt raised his hands and was praying.

"It should have been me." Scott's almost wounded voice broke the silence in the helicopter. Everybody could see the trails of tears that had ran down his cheeks. "He was the one that was going to do something."

"That's not how he saw it" Jean commented. "He thought you'd be the one to do something with his life. To be someone."

"How do you know what he thought?" Scott replied, his misery making him temporarily forgot Jean's ability.

"I know what everybody thinks" Jean said equally as miserable as she reached over and took Scott's hand in comfort.

Etta and Kurt who had both been listening look back to the ground and went back to their own business. Kurt went back to preying but Etta felt Kurt's tail flick around her back. He'd placed it behind her back and gave her a comforting tap. All of them were nervous about what was going to happen but Etta was in turmoil. Her sister and step-mother are dead, her Dad was stuck on getting revenge, Charles was taken by a maniac set on destroying the Earth and there was a _maniac trying to destroy the Earth_.

 **AN3: CHAPTER COMPLETED 29/05/2016**

 **REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. A pretty character full chapter. We met Apocalypse, Storm, Angel, Psylocke, Raven, Peter and Kurt**


	7. Chapter 6

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Chapter 6**

It was a few hours before they arrived at wherever these strange people had taken them. They could feel the helicopter landing. Scott had stopped crying though he was still rather morose. Jean still had his hand in hers and Kurt still had his tail around Etta's back.

"Jean, Kurt, get ready. Jean I'll help you cover us. One of them will open this door soon. Kurt just get us to wherever you can outside of this helicopter as soon as you can. We'll move from there" Etta instructed. Jean placed her hand on her temple ready and Etta did the same. Kurt placed a hand on Jean's arm and another on Scott's arm. Kurt fully wrapped his tail around Etta waist. The helicopter door unlocked and began to open. Almost instantly they found themselves on the other side of room to the helicopter while Etta and Jean covered them by going into the men's head and making them invisible to them. Etta saw some crates and quickly pulled the others towards them and knelt down behind them. They watched carefully as Moira, Hank, Raven and Peter were carried out of the helicopter and down one of the corridors.

Etta turned to Kurt. "Can you get us into that corridor?"

Kurt nodded, taking up the same position as they did to get out of the helicopter. They teleported instantly into the corridor. Etta had already linked into the surrounding minds, keeping them hidden. They passed through to and managed to hide in a side corridor. Jean peaked around the side.

"They're going right." Jean said, back to them.

Etta nodded. "Let's move. Jean, keep a look forward and I'll keep an eye on our back"

They crept quickly through the corridor around the corner. They went down to the end of the corridor where they paused. Like they had said, Etta kept her mind looking for people behind them. Jean glanced around the corner again.

"I can't see them anymore." Jean commented.

While keeping her mind's eye on the corridor they'd just come down Etta joined Jeans side. She frowned when she noticed they couldn't see them anymore.

"We'll just have to go without guts now" Etta said when the pair of them saw the men who had carried the four away come from around a corner. Etta pulled Jean back and pressed her, Scott and Kurt against the wall, pressing her fingers to her temple and making the men walk straight past them without the men seeing the four of them.

After they had passed, the four of them headed down the corridor to the turning that the men had come from. The couldn't see anybody around the corner, just a metal door. The four of them went up to the door.

Etta reached out in the mind to the closest mind. She managed to grab hold of the mind of the one of men that had carried Hank. Hank, Moira, Raven and Peter were beyond this door in a cell. She pulled out and turned to the others.

"They're in there." Etta said.

"Kurt, can you get in?" Scott asked him as he analysed the door in front of them.

They watched as Kurt attempted to get through but noticed that he couldn't move. He glanced at each of them. "I can't get in. It's like the helicopter. Something is stopping me."

Etta glanced from Kurt to the door. "That probably means ours won't work either."

"Whatever's keeping us out must be powered by something." Jean commented out loud before her head quickly turned to the corridor. She stood at the edge, her fingers going to her temple, making the two patrol men walk by without any trouble.

When the men had walked down the corridor far enough away Scott said, "Well, there must be a generator somewhere. If we can find that. We can shut it down and get to the others."

The others nodded.

"I'll find one in someone's mind." Etta said closing her eyes and doing a general sweep of the minds in the building. She found that two people knew of one in a room not too far from where they were. A picture of the generator pulled up in her mind. She opened her eyes. "There's one not far from here. Just a few corridors down in a medical room."

The others nodded and they set off again, in a similar fashion. Jean kept an eye ahead, Scott and Kurt walking in the middle. Etta kept her mind's eye on anyone approaching from behind them. They managed to get back to the main corridor, following Etta's directions and were able to turn down the right corridor before a voice in all of their mind stopped them. And not just any voice just Charles' voice.

' _I have a message to the people of the world. To the false gods, the super powers, the men who don't deserve their power, their superiority. Your foolery ends today. Time has changed the world, but I have returned and order will be corrected –'._ There was more to Charles' message but both Jean and Etta were distracted.

' _Etta, Jean... Cairo... find us… find us… Cairo'_ It was Charles, sending a separate quieter message that both of them could only just pick up. They glanced to each other to confirm that they'd both heard it. They nodded to each other before turning in to the rest of the general message.

'… _to the people whose has strengths, gifts … protect those without. That is my message to the world.'_ The message ended just as quickly as it appeared.

"The professor just spoke to me." Jean said to the others.

"I think he just spoke to all of us." Scott replied, glancing around them.

Kurt moved closer, "I heard him too."

"No, she means he sent us another message. A secret one. One he knew only Jean and I would pick up as we're telepathic. We know where he is." Etta told them, glancing at Jean in confirmation.

"Hey!" A voice called out from the end of the corridor. It was one of the men. They had gotten distracted.

Kurt quickly grabbed everybody; a hand on one of Jean and Scott's shoulders and his tail wrapping around Etta's wrist. They disappeared as the man fired his weapon. They appeared just in front of a door that had a window on it.

"He fired at us." Scott gasped.

"We've intruded in somebody's compound. We're now a security risk. They'll fire to kill us." Etta told them.

"Hey, look. A generator." Scott called pointing through the window.

"That's it. That's the one. Kurt can you get us in there?" Etta asked, glancing back to Kurt.

Kurt nodded as the three others grabbed at his arms. The teleported to the other side of the door. The generator was right in front of them. It was definitely a medical room. It had a collection of medical equipment.

Suddenly a growl shocked them. It came from a box to the left of the room. "They keep an animal in here." Scott said in shock.

Etta and Jean searched out with their minds at the same time. "It's not an animal. It's a man. He's lost a part of himself." Jean corrected.

Etta felt a mind coming up to the door. "We need to move."

"Where to? We're trapped." Scott replied back.

"I have an idea" Jean said, taking hold of Etta and Scott's wrists and pulled them behind the box. Kurt followed behind. "Etta, can you move that metal bolt on the box door?"

Etta quickly glanced round at the metal bolt before returning back to Jean and nodding. She understood Jean's idea. The four of them pressed themselves to the side of the box as the door to the room opened and two men walked in. Etta latched onto the metal bolt with metal bending abilities. She slowly lifted the bolt up, as quietly as she could. She then used the metal in the door to open it slightly. The bit of light was all that the person inside needed to open the door the rest of the way and step out.

Jean, Etta, Scott and Kurt gasped at what they saw. The man was bare except a scrap of clothe around his waist. He had various things attached to him including a strange head piece. Suddenly three metal blades appeared from each of his knuckles. The men that had come to get the four of them opened fire on the man causing Etta and Jean to cringe in fear and worry. The bullets didn't seem to effect the man as he charged forward and impaled the first man on his blade.

Etta gasped as they heard the screams of the men that had been after them.

"Are you sure it wasn't an animal?" Scott asked as the screaming got so far away that they couldn't hear it.

"Let's not think of that right now." Etta said as she rushed to the generator. She charged her fist and hit it into the generator causing it to short circuit. The lights above them faltered for a minute before coming back on less brightly. "They're on emergency power. They wouldn't be able to keep up that abilities shield on emergency power."

"Then what are waiting for. Let's bust them out" Scott said beginning to head towards the door.

As they went they noticed that they were having to step over bodies. If Etta was to regret anything it was regretting letting that man loose on a base like this. These men, who just follow orders, are all dead because they released that feral man.

"Hey look at this." Scott said looking through another door. The others gathered round to look.

"It's a war jet." Etta commented seeing the impressive looking ship that stood in the hanger beyond the door.

"Well, I think we found our way out of here. Now all we need to do is find the others again and get them out." Scott commented with the first smile they'd seen from his since this thing started.

The four of them began moving again, faster this time. But as they turned one corner they came face to face with the same man they had let out of the box. He was just opening an outer door to the outside. He turned to them to attack and that was when Etta recognised him. Scott went to removed his glasses when Etta grabbed his arm and forcibly lowered it.

Etta had met this man when she was ten years old, he'd come looking for the professor with a task from the future. It was Logan.

"Wait, we can help you" Etta spoke gently out loud.

Both she and Jean stepped forward. Jean reached up to take off the helmet when Logan grabbed hold of Jean's wrist. Jean didn't falter but continued to reach up and finally managed to get the head piece of him and made it fall to the floor. Jean stepped to the side as soon as Logan had released her wrist, letting Etta step forward. Etta slowly reached up and placed her hands on the sides of his head. She searched through trying to find something. She released a few memories from his mind but none of them said his name.

' _Logan. Your name is Logan.'_ Etta said in his head.

She stepped back as he began to unplug himself from the harness they had him in. It was rather gruesome to watch but she did watch as the hole healed instantly as the screws were removed. He took a glance at each of them in turn before turning and running to the door. He opened the door, took one last glance back and ran out into the wild.

"Do you think he'll be okay out there?" Jean asked.

Etta remembered back to when she had met Logan before and what she'd seen when her mind had connected with his. She nodded. "He will. He'll have a hard time but he'll find a home eventually."

They all looked out to where he had vanished into the woods when Etta remembered what they were doing. They were getting the others out. She spun round and began to head down the corridor they were doing before they got distracted by Logan. The others quickly sprang into action and followed.

"Scott, Jean, go back to the door. Get ready to blast it Scott. We don't want any of them to get hurt so Kurt and I will try and get their attention. I saw a window in that man's mind looking down on them. Jean, I'll let you know when they are away from the door. Then, and only then, blast the door down." Etta ordered, as they approached a crossroads.

Jean and Scott nodded their agreement before they turned left at the crossroads while Etta took Kurt's hand and led them straight ahead.

"This way" Etta told him.

Etta and Kurt found the office but both cringed as they passed through the door. It was a blood bath in the room.

"Oh god" Etta muttered pausing and looking away briefly.

Kurt whispered something similar under his breath, using his hand to cross his chest and mutter a prayer.

Etta and Kurt took a deep breath and proceeded into the room.

' _We're in position'_ Jean spoke into her head.

Etta stepped up to the window, Kurt close behind her. She saw Raven and Peter talking in the centre of the room. Moira and Hank were wandering around the edges in worry. She reached forward and banged on the glass. All four of the occupants in the room looked up.

Kurt then quickly pointed to the door, "Get away from the door."

The four inside all frowned. Raven pointed to her ears shouting something that neither Etta and Kurt couldn't hear.

"They can't hear us" Kurt said to Etta, glancing over to her.

Etta glanced around at the desk in front of them. Suddenly she spotted a button. She pressed it and nodded to Kurt to try again.

"Get away from the door." He said, pointing to the door.

They still didn't get it. Both Etta and Kurt groaned. Etta glanced around and spotted a piece of metal attached to the wall that had been added later than the actual wall. She reached over to it and pulled it over. When she had it into her hand. She charged one finger so it was so concentrated it was like a blowtorch. She wrote one word on to it. 'DOOR'

She held it up to the four in the room and noticed that they glanced from her to the actual door. She banged on the glass to regain their attention before holding the metal in front of her so the writing was facing her. She closed her eyes while she located Scott's mutation. As soon as she latched on, she opened her eyes and two red beams shot out of it and cut through the metal. She closed her eyes and unlocked herself from Scott's mutation. When she opened her eyes again she noticed that the four of them had all moved away from the door. She grinned over to Kurt who grinned back.

"That was really good." Kurt commented with a sideward grin.

Etta couldn't help but feel a red blush come up her face in response. "Thanks" she mumbled.

' _Okay Jean'_ Etta sent to Jean.

She didn't get a response but the door to the cell was suddenly blasted open. Etta took hold of Kurt's arm. "Come on Kurt."

Kurt teleported them to just in front of the door just as the others were coming out.

"…Cairo" Jean finished, obviously in the middle of a sentence.

"How are we going to get there?" Moira asked, her tone in her voice was worried but determined.

Jean, Scott, Etta and Kurt all glanced to one another.

"I think we have a way out." Scott told the others. "Follow us."

Scott led the way as they ran with the others following behind. They ran all the way to the jet, but the door to it was closed and locked. Scott went to take off his glasses when Etta stopped him. She stepped up to the door, charging her fist and smashing it into the control panel. The door shot open.

They walked in, the ones who hadn't seen the jet before were impressed.

"Well you got your war plane." Raven commented, looking to Hank.

"Hey, look." Scott called from the side where there were four opaque white cases. Scott opened one to reveal four flight suits. "Flight suits, there's enough for us all."

Etta walked over and opened the second. Both she and Scott then worked on handing them out, depending on the size of the person and size of the suit. When everybody had placed them over their clothes Etta glanced around. They looked like a team in these matching suits. Kurt was stood next to her.

"It suits you." Kurt commented.

Etta glanced over to him, dressed in the flight suit that was relatively baggy on his thin frame. They couldn't find a smaller one for him.

"Thank you Kurt" Etta replied with an embarrassed smile, glancing down at her own uniform that was quite tight around her. In fact, all the women's suits were quite tight fitting. Etta pulled loose her hair bobble to try and neaten her hair. She pulled it all back apart from the fringe that was just too short to fit into the ponytail.

Kurt smiled and reached up and put her fringe behind her ear, causing Etta's cheeks to redden again. Kurt's smile widened at the sight until he noticed Raven eyeing them curiously. He dropped his hand down quickly as they both turned to face Raven.

"Are you two done?" Raven asked.

Etta and Kurt glanced at each other embarrassingly and nodded.

Raven turned back to Hank who was stood nearby. "Do you think you can fly this jet?"

Hank nodded, "I should be able to work it out."

Raven nodded in confirmation. "Then let's go to war"

The eight of them piled into the jet. Hank and Moira taking the two pilot seats, Hank in the Captain's seat. Raven, Jean and Scott sat in the seats along one side of the jet, near Moira. Raven was closest to Moira. Etta, Kurt and Peter sat on the other with Etta sat closest to Hank.

"Kurt" Raven called catching Kurt's attention. "Switch seats with Etta."

Both Etta and Kurt frowned in confusion but did as she said, both of them missing the significant glance Raven gave to Peter. When the two of them were strapped in, Hank lifted the jet up and out of the compound building.

Peter turned to Etta opening his mouth to speak before turning away again. The first time Etta hadn't seen but she spotted him doing it the second time.

"Is there something wrong Peter?" Etta asked.

Peter watched her carefully, quickly glancing around at the others. His eyes rested on Raven for a bit longer than the others, only moving on when she nodded confidently.

"You're my sister" He blurted out.

Etta eyes widened. "You're what...?"

"Sister." Peter confirmed with a nod.

Etta continued to look at him wide eyed causing Peter to panic a little and continue talking, "Um, before you were born, our Dad and my mom… um… well you know."

"Yeah, I get that. Does he know?" Etta asked, her eyes still wide.

Peter shook his head, "I don't think so. He left my mom before she could tell him. I was looking for him when I came to the school."

Etta nodded. "So, you're my brother?"

Peter nodded.

Etta smiled widely. "I have a brother."

Peter smiled widely back. "And I have a sister. How old are you?"

"Twenty" Etta replied with a gentle smile.

Peter let out a laugh. "I have a _little_ sister."

Etta laughed a little as well which caused most of the people in the plane to smile as well. It was the first time they'd seen her laugh since this had begun. However, they all sobered pretty quickly remembering what they were facing.

"How are we going to do this?" Scott asked, asking the question that everyone was thinking.

They all glanced at each other. Etta thought about what Charles' would say to this. What would he do? Etta looked each of in the eye before saying. "Together"

 **AN3: Review and let me know what you think.**

 **So we're approaching the final fight. It's going to be slightly different to the film in order to accommodate Etta and her quite powerful mutation.**


	8. Chapter 7

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Chapter 7**

Etta lay her head back against the plane wall. She had Kurt on one side praying and Peter on the other side fidgeting like he had ants in his pants. She's supposed Peter didn't like staying still much. She closed her eyes trying her hardest to forget where she was, what they were doing and what they could end up losing if they fail.

She didn't mean to connect her mind with Charles but she could feel his thoughts in her head. She could see what he was seeing. Apocalypse was stood up on a rocky cliff. Charles was sat behind him while the four 'horsemen' including Erik were stood on either side of him. Erik and the girl who controlled storms were stood on his left while the girl with the pink swords and the boy with wings stood on his right. Apocalypse turned to Erik and beckoned him over. Erik approached him on his rock. Sand began forming in the centre of Apocalypse's hands, moulding together into the shape of a helmet, painted purple and red, just as Magneto's old helmet used to be.

"For you, a present from the past." Apocalypse said, handing the helmet over. "To help form your future"

Etta could feel the betrayal and sadness that Charles felt when he looked over to Erik. Etta could barely stand to keep looking at her Dad.

' _We're on our way Charles'_ she told him reassuringly, but it seemed to only bring panic to Charles' mind.

' _Etta! You can't come here. Not you!'_ Charles spoke back frantically, his eyes shifting to the ground, avoiding the eyes of everybody stood around him.

' _But Charles you need our help.'_ Etta argued back.

' _No. I need you to stay away Etta. Can you not remember what Moira had said in her office, about how he stays young?'_ Charles argued, with a question at the end.

Etta opened her eyes, Charles' mind had pushed her's out. He'd never pushed her out before. What was he preventing her from doing? Why didn't he want her there? What was he trying to protect her from? She thought back to his question. Apocalypse stayed young by switching his conscious between bodies, old to new. He would pick up the powers of any mutant who's body he took. The answer came to her like a lightening bolt. She sat up straight in her seat causing everybody except Hank and Moira to turn to her.

"He's going to use Charles." Etta spoke out loud, realising why Charles didn't want her there. He wouldn't want her to see him becoming Apocalypse.

"Etta?" Jean asked in confusion.

"Charles can read and control minds. Apocalypse wants that power. When he was last around he would transfer his conscious from his body to body and by doing so he would pick up and keep any mutant abilities. If he transfers his conscious into Charles' body, he'll take Charles' powers." Etta explained, unfastening her seat belt.

"If he did that we wouldn't stand a chance." Raven commented solemnly.

Etta stood and moved over to Hank, who she knew had still been listening.

"How long till we get to Cairo?" Etta asked him worried.

"A few hours. This plane isn't as fast as we all want it to be" Hank replied, looking at his instruments for an answer.

"How many is a few?" Etta asked, concerned.

"Four or five." Hank told her, his voice solemn as he knew exactly what she was going to say next.

"That's not soon enough." Etta replied, her eyes looking straight out of the window in front of her wishing that she could already see the towering tops of the pyramids.

"We can't go any faster." Moira told her gently, almost sympathetically.

Etta remained silent for a minute. Her mind buzzing. If this plane wasn't going to get there in time she needed something faster. But what could she use? What goes faster?

"I can." She said determinedly, turning and heading towards the back of the plane where the ramp is.

"No! Etta!" Hank called from his spot. Moira clicked the main controls to her controls so Hank could get up.

Hank ran up to her, taking hold of her arm. "We need to stick together."

"If we stick together then we'll get there too late. I won't lose Charles when there's something I can do." Etta argued, her eyes darting to the button that would open the ramp.

"And what will you do when you get there? You can't fly away with Charles, you'd electrocute him." Hank replied, his grip on her arm tightening. "We don't want to lose you either."

"If we lose Charles then we're all lost and so is the rest of the world. If I can't work out a way to get him away, the least I can do is stall them till when you get there." Etta said, "Hank, please, you have to let me do this. Charles means the world to me, I've already lost my sister. I'm even losing my Dad to that monster and I refuse to lose Charles to him too."

Hank hesitated but nodded, letting go of her arm. He stepped to the button that open the ramp. He glanced down at her boots, glad to see they were the boot he made her.

"Be careful." Hank warned as he pressed the button. "If Charles survives and you don't, he'll kill me."

Etta smiled slightly at him as the ramp lowers. "It'll be okay Hank. I'll see you there."

Hank nodded as she stepped forward to the very end of the ramp. She turned back to him and smiled reassuringly. She raised her arms and titled back until she was falling. She could see the ramp beginning to rise behind her. She clicked her heels, turned so she was facing the same direction as the plane and shot off, her legs glowing from the power being emitted from her feet. She rocketed past the plane and out of their sight.

As she travelled she thought about what she could do. She couldn't fly away with Charles, like Hank said. Could she realistically stall them for long enough if Apocalypse and his four follows fought her together instead of one by one like they had in Poland? No, she didn't think so. She needed a plan. She thought through who she was up against, remembering what she had picked up about their powers when she had last fought them.

Apocalypse. Many mutant abilities including healing, mass manipulation including matter and energy, teleportation, super strength, better than average speed and reflexes, and a power enhancing ability.

The girl with the white Mohican or as Etta wished to call her, Strike as in Lightning Strike. Control over storms, clouds, lightning and wind.

The girl with the purple swords. Can create weapons made of purple energy from her hands.

Erik. Magneto. Can manipulate metal.

The boy with wings. Wings!

The idea struck Etta immediately. The boy had wings as his mutation and due to her mutation she may be able to mimic it. She wondered whether it was possible. She'd never mimicked physical mutations like actual wings. She would have to try as soon as he came into her abilities range. That gave her ten miles to attempt to grow a pair of wings.

It was coming up. She was quite nervous about even attempting it. She'd never tried anything like it, Charles had always discouraged it. He believed in her expanding her abilities but he'd never gave her opportunity or permission to try such mutations.

Eleven meters. Etta prepared her ability to lock onto the boy's mutation. His wings were metal and she wondered whether that would be the case should she grow some. Would they grow from her back? Would it hurt?

Ten meters. Etta locked onto the boy's mutation. She instantly felt a sharp stabbing pain in her back, so much so that she felt her flying ability falter. She had to focus hard to keep herself heading forward as her back became more painful. She could feel her back moving, the skin stretching and finally ripping. She cried out, dropping down as her flying ability faltered once again. She dropped down fully, landing on the ground with a thud. Her hands gripped the sand beneath her as body changed.

It was a full two minutes before the pain stopped and she felt her body healing itself just as she imagined it had done with him when he had first sprouted his wings. She folding her new wings forward so she could see them. They were metal. She flashed her left one out straight, causing three metal feathers to shoot out and hit against the sand a few meters away.

She grinned. She had her escape plan, now to get Charles away from Apocalypse. She flapped the wings, rising herself back up before continuing onto the rock that Etta had seen in Charles' mind. When she saw them she flew lower to the ground until reaching the rock in order to stay out of sight should they turn around. She held onto the rock and began scaling it. She had managed to get to the exact spot underneath where Charles was placed. As she reached the top she was less than three feet away from where Charles had been placed. She glanced over the top and saw that Apocalypse was stood at the very front of the rock, his arms raised. Sand was seemingly coming from buildings, cars and the ground as it dismantles the buildings and cars and built itself into a new building. She noticed that the attention of Apocalypse's four followers was also on the building. She pulled herself up, and across to Charles' side.

When Charles' spotted her, his eyes widened in panic. She smiled reassuringly at him before reaching down and lifting him up in a way that reminded her of the way a groom lifted his bride. She had to slip some of Apocalypses strength into her own in order to lift Charles. As soon as she felt her grip on his was secure she lifted off from the ground and as quietly as she could flew away in the direction she had come from. She glanced back quickly to see that the building that Apocalypse had been making was possibly almost done. She knew if he turned around and saw them then she would have to fight because she had to stay within ten meters of the boy with the wings to be able to keep the wings. She needed to find someplace safe to wait for the others.

She glanced around and found another large rocky cliff. She directed towards that.

"Since when have you had wings?" Charles asked, studying the wings on her back.

"Since I realised I needed a way to get you away from them and I couldn't carry you with my own flying abilities because I'd fry you and that kind of defeats the objective of saving you" Etta replied. "I've realised why you never let me try something like this before. It was extremely painful and sure it will be when they go as well."

Etta lowered them down behind the rock, out of sight of Apocalypse. She placed Charles' down. She linked into Apocalypse's abilities and lifted her hand to cliff face to create a tunnel inside of it. She quickly picked Charles back up and walked in. She placed Charles on a flat stone that she had made sure was there when she formed the tunnel. She turned to the opening and closed it by forming boulders. It meant that the area was closed enough that you couldn't see inside of it, but open enough that some light still shined through and air still passed through. Etta linked her mind to Jean. She was glad they were getting closer, still a while away, but closer. She sent to her exactly where they were hiding so when they arrived they could come and collect them.

"Jean knows where we are. They'll come and get us before we go to stop Apocalypse from destroying the world." Etta commented out loud.

Etta turned to Charles and stood at his side. He didn't seem overly fond of being saved and it made Etta frown. Charles' eyes were closed. He was sitting up by supporting himself with one hand while the other was pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Charles, are you okay?" Etta asked worried. Had Apocalypse done something to him?

"I told you not to come." Charles said, opening his eyes and removing his hand from the bridge of his nose.

"The others are still at least an hour out. We would have been too late if I hadn't. I won't let him take you from me. I know you never want me in danger, your protective and I'm glad about that, but I came here to save you. If he takes you…" Etta told him, kneeling down next to the slab.

"No!" Charles practically yelled. "You don't understand. It's not me he wants."

"What? But the transferring his conscience thing?" Etta asked, her face screwing up in confusion.

"He wants you. That was why I told you to stay away. He knew you would come for me. At first, yes he wanted me so he took me but he saw you. He wants you, your powers. With you he could do everything. He could do everything I could have done and more." Charles commented, beginning loudly and angrily before slowly deflated and growing quieter.

Etta perched herself down on the side of the slab he was on. She glanced down at it, her new wings drooping. She glanced up to Charles, her eyes sad and her voice quiet. "I'm sorry. I didn't think. I just… I can't lose you."

Charles sighed, pulling himself over to the side and lying back. He waved to the spot beside him. She turned and climbed lying back next to him. Charles raised his arm and slipped it under her head.

"I know. I can't imagine what I would do should I lose you. You're my daughter in all but blood. I raised you. I taught you walk, to talk, and to dance, even when you didn't want to learn the _old man_ dances. These last twenty years hold some of my favourite moments in life and that's because of you." Charles said gently. "Your first word. Your first steps. The first time you talked to me in my head. Your first day at school with Hank. Can you remember that? You put on a coat and grabbed a school bag with a packed lunch. You asked me to drop you off like other parents and kids at an ordinary school. You made me walk you to Hank's office even though you'd been there many times before. You asked for a hug goodbye and made me stand and wave as you went in. And then you got annoyed when I wasn't there when you finished to pick you up again and ask you how it went.".

Etta smiled. "I wish I could remember that."

"You were a brat sometimes but you were my brat." Charles replied with a teasing smile.

Etta laughed at the word 'brat' coming out of Charles' mouth. It didn't quite sound right. "I'll always be your brat Charles."

Charles hummed in agreement. "Well, hopefully with less sass perhaps? I still remember when a prospective teacher came to visit and you sassed him to a point that he left before he'd even begun his interview thinking something about disrespectful kids"

Etta laughed again. "He wouldn't have made a good teacher anyway."

"You're possibly right." Charles replied. "Sometimes you can be."

They were silent for a moment and thankfully they were because they heard shuffling outside. Etta sat up in alarm, Charles doing the same. Etta stood from the slab.

"Etta, go. You can use his ability to transport out of her. Get away from here." Charles whispered to her.

"I won't leave without you and if we leave here we'll have to keep moving. I can't go any further than ten meters before I lose the wings." Etta told him, whispering.

Etta stepped forward, using her abilities to discover who was nearby by analysing the mutation and how close they were. It was her Dad and he was practically outside the rocks. She breathed in deeply hoping that Erik moved on. Jean and the others were still over forty minutes away; she couldn't have them being discovered now. They'd have to run.

"Charles!" Erik yelled.

Judging by the sound of his yell, he wasn't facing them. Etta wondered whether that meant that he didn't even suspect that they were behind the rocks that he was stood in front of. Etta glanced back to Charles who was sat up, his face showing his worry. A thought came to Etta then and just an idea of it made her eyes water.

Etta stepped back to his side. "Does he know?"

"I can't read him. Apocalypse is blocking their minds from me. We'll just have to hope he doesn't realise we're in here." Charles replied.

Etta shook her head, "I meant does he know that Apocalypse wants me and what he wants me for?"

Charles glanced up at her, looking at her sympathetically. "I don't know."

Etta nodded, her eyes still watering.

"Etta, I have no doubt in my mind that Erik wouldn't let Apocalypse hurt you. He loves you Etta." Charles told her, reached up to place his hand on her cheek. He pulled her face down to lean her forehead against him.

"He chose to go with him when I asked him not to." Etta argued his point miserably. "You heard him in Cerebro. In his opinion, I'm yours, not his."

"Etta, he was speaking out of pain. He chose to go because Apocalypse promised him revenge. But he would never let Apocalypse harm you. And neither will I." Charles said determinedly. "You'll be fine. We'll be fine. You'll see."

"How sweet." A woman's voice broke their moment.

Etta jumped back away and slightly in front of Charles. It was the woman with the purple sword that spoke and her purple sword was out. The others were there with her. The rocks that had hidden them were completely gone probably due to Apocalypse who was stood in the centre of the five. Erik was stood by his right side, glancing from Charles to Etta.

Etta stepped back, she took hold of both of Charles hands. She tapped into Apocalypse powers and instantly a purple shimmering sphere appeared around the two of them. She watched as the four followers moved to stop her but they shimmered away as Charles and Etta moved back to the rock that Etta had originally found Charles on. Etta quickly picked Charles up in the same fashion as before and took off. She glanced back and saw that the boy with wings following them and gaining due to the fact he was lighter on his own than Etta and Charles were together.

"I really hate that kid right now." Etta commented out loud.

"Angel. They call him angel." Charles replied. "from what I've heard he was a cage fighter."

"Oh great" Etta cheered sarcastically, glancing back and seeing that Angel was significantly closer. Erik was also in the air as well.

"What about the girls? Do they have names or any fighting experience?" Etta asked quickly, spotting the girl with the white Mohican going up into the air besides Erik.

"Storm and Psylocke. Storm doesn't seem to have fighting experience but she's a local. Psylocke used to work with the mutant Caliban." Charles explained.

"Caliban, the black market guy with the psychics?" Etta asked curiously.

Charles nodded.

It was in that moment that Etta spotted a shadow with wings approaching hers. She dived the right just in time to miss a dive attack from Angel. She swerved to the left as he tried again.

"You won't be able to outrun him." Charles spoke.

"I know." Etta replied, "Wrap your arms around the back of my neck and hold on."

Charles did, his arms going around her neck. When she figured he was secure she waited for another dive attack from Angel. He did so seconds later. At last minute Etta spun, kicking her legs out. She caught Angel in the face, his head snapping back from the combining of the opposing force of his dive attack and her kick. He fell back, shaking his head.

Etta used his momentary lapse to turn and continued flying away until her wings froze. She couldn't move them, in fact they started to pull her backwards. Etta glanced back and saw that her Dad was close behind her, his arm out. He was pulling her back using the metal wings. She growled in frustration.

She closed her eyes, separating her ability from Angel. Pain shot through her back as the wings began to shift. They didn't go back into her back like she was expecting but pulled out instead, though she latched onto Apocalypse healing ability to heal the gaping holes they'd left behind. When she was separated from the wings she fell forward, losing the wings meant she had lost her ability to keep them up without electrocuting Charles. She used it briefly just before she touched the ground so she could touch down on her feet. As soon as her feet were on the ground she began to run. She glanced back and saw that Angel was back in the air and started to gain on her position. Erik was up in the air as well, his arms held out controlling metal from somewhere but where Etta didn't know yet. She saw Storm approached from her left and a shimmering purple sphere was appearing on her right, indicating that Apocalypse was there. Suddenly a purple whip appeared, striking her in the face. The force of it pushed her enough for her to lose her balance. She fell back, Charles landing painfully on top of her.

' _Jean, hurry!'_ Etta sent a message to Jean. _'I've made a huge mistake. I need your help'_

Etta struggled out from beneath Charles, with a little help from Charles. She lifted him back up but she only needed one glance to see that she was surrounded. Erik, Storm and Angel landed as Psylocke and Apocalypse approached them. The five to them created a circle around her.

"That was a daring rescue. I'm impressed." Apocalypse commented, causing Etta to focus on him.

' _Etta fly away'_ Charles voice spoke into her mind.

"I wasn't trying to impress you" Etta spat at Apocalypse before replying to Charles in mind, _'I can't. I'd fry you'_

' _Leave me here'_ Charles instructed, looking determinedly at her even if she wouldn't look down to him.

"I know. You still believe the lie of those weaker than you." Apocalypse said, chastising her.

"It's no lie and I'd defend them with my life." Etta commenting, glancing from Apocalypse to Charles and then to Erik to make her point clear to all three of them. To Charles it was that she wasn't going anywhere without him. To Apocalypse it was that she wouldn't be giving up. Finally, to Erik it was that she would die fighting them before surrendering.

Suddenly she felt a dropping feeling in her stomach as she seemed to fall through the floor. When she'd dropped down to her waist she stopped, the ground solidifying around her. Etta charged her legs, attempting to lift her up but all it managed to do was send a small shock to Charles, who cried out when the shock hit him.

Apocalypse approached her, his hand going to her neck. He wasn't strangling her, just holding her in place. "You'd die to defend them, him. To defend the one who holds you back, who keeps you weak. Your connection to him makes you weak. Your father has moved past that, has grown stronger. And you will too."

Angel stepped forward, attempting to take Charles from her arms but she kept her grip on him, her eyes glaring. The hand around her throat tightened as she held on to Charles. Eventually her instinctive survival skills came in, her grip slipping from Charles to move to Apocalypse's wrist to stop him. As soon as Charles was out of her grasp Apocalypse released his hold slightly.

He began lifting her up, the floor liquidising again enabling him to pull her up with ease. She gripped her wrist. She went to charge her fist when something hit her in the back of her head, blurring her vision. Her grip slackened as she tried to hold on to her conscious thought.

"Prepare the transfusion room" she heard Apocalypse instruct before her vision went black.

 **AN3: Review and let me know what you think.**

 **As you can tell I've diverged from the film quite a bit. I had originally wanted to keep it similar to the film but I asked myself "would Apocalypse really over look someone with Etta's abilities for Charles?" What do you think of this change? Should I continue with it?**


	9. Chapter 8

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Chapter 8**

When Etta came back around she noticed she was being carried by someone. She felt around with her ability to distinguish who it was that was carrying her by working out their ability. Wings. It was Angel that was carrying her. She panicked inside, trying to stop it from showing on the outside. Where was Charles? He had been in Angel's arms the last time she saw him. She spread her ability further.

Apocalypse was stood to her left, probably watching Angel carry her to wherever he was taking her. She internally sighed a breath of relieve when she felt Charles' ability sat behind Angel. As far as she could tell she couldn't feel her Dad, Storm or Psylocke in the room. They had gone elsewhere.

"Place her down." Apocalypse instructed and Etta could feel herself being placed on a cold slab. It hadn't been far down so it must have been a raised slab.

She could feel Apocalypse approaching her and she wondered whether this would be a good time to jump up and run. First she needed to establish exactly where Charles was in correlation to her, what the situation was and the quickest way out. She linked her mind to Charles' and used his eyes to view the room they were in.

They were in the building that Apocalypse had built out of the buildings and cars. She was placed on one of two slabs of concrete. Above her was the same golden triangle that Moira had had a photo of in the Apocalypse file back at her office. She could see a door to Charles' right, meaning beyond her feet. She decided that wasn't a very good escape route considering Angel was now stood in the way of it.

She watched through Charles' eyes as Apocalypse lifted his hand and waved it over her. She felt something clasp over her wrist and ankles. She leapt out of Charles' mind and opened her eyes. Apocalypse's face was the first thing she saw. He gave her a frightening smile.

"Welcome back daughter." Apocalypse said in an almost gentle tone. Etta would have believed it if she didn't know what he was about to do to her.

"I'm not your daughter" Etta spat viciously, attempting to struggle out of the straps. She attempted to charge her hands and feet but it didn't touch the stone straps. "Let me go"

Apocalypse gave the closest thing to a laugh that Etta believed he could do. "You are all my children. And you my dear are going to be my shining star today. You'll be helping me more than anybody else."

Etta glared at him. "If you think I'll let you take me without a fight you're badly mistaken. I won't let you have my powers"

"There won't be a fight young one. It's impossible to resist." Apocalypse commented before turning to Angel. "Protect me until the transference is done."

Angel nodded, spreading his wings and taking off but remaining within the room, hovering where he could see the entire room, sprung ready to dive down to protect Apocalypse.

Etta used this opportunity to look over to Charles. He was sat up against a pillar, well, more like inside of the pillar. Some of the pillar was wrapped round his body like restraints. His eyes were red and puffy. He was watching her sadly, with defeat filling his eyes.

' _Charles, I'm scared'_ Etta sent to him, her breathing beginning to rise as she spotted out of the corner of her eye Apocalypse approach the other slab.

' _It's okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.'_ Charles replied, trying to be reassuring. _'The others are on their way'_

Etta reached out her mind to Jeans. They weren't close enough. She closed her eyes in resignation to her fate. And not just her fate but the fate of the rest of the world when Apocalypse uses her powers upon it. She looked back to Charles her eyes watering.

' _I'm sorry. I should have listened. I'm sorry. I've ruined our chances of saving the world. I'm sorry!'_ Etta apologised, her mental voice practically a whisper.

' _No. I'm sorry Etta. I told you I would protect you and I've failed.'_ Charles replied, his tears falling again. He couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't contemplate that he was about to lose Etta. _'Try and fight him Etta. You're stronger than him. Don't let him win'_

Etta nodded to him, moving her head to look directly up to where Apocalypse had lifted the triangle after lying down on his own slab. It had slotted into place. A golden light was soaring through a series of lines on the walls. The lines ran along the floor and up the slabs which she was on.

Her mind began to panic. Her body attempting to get free. She could feel the beginnings of the transfusion. Her favourite blue shield appeared, covering her body in a firm cover. It halted the transfusion but the power behind the transfusion was too strong, banging harshly against the shield. She couldn't hold it over her entire body. She pulled it inside so it covered the most important part of her body. Her mind.

She began screaming as she felt the transfusion bang against the shield around her brain, creating painful shocks on her mind. It wouldn't hold. Her body was already beginning to change which in itself was a painful experience. The shield around her mind shattered with one heavy thud from the transfusion. She could feel the conscious of Apocalypse seeping into her mind, taking control. She could feel her own mind growing weaker. She tried one last time to stop the transfusion. She built up all the charge she could in the centre of her chest, and screamed as she let it go. The charge pushed a mighty force wave from the body but it still wasn't enough. She had lost to him.

Charles watched, his eyes stinging, as the closest thing he had to a daughter fought for her life in a way no parent would ever want for their child. As her shock wave ricocheted through the room and up the walls he let his sobs take over. He could see Apocalypse take over her body, her mind. He was losing her to him. It was only minutes later when Apocalypse's own body shrivelled away and the eyes that had once with an aqua blue had turned a dark blue, the colour of Apocalypse's eyes.

Over ten minutes away, Jean sat on the jet, tears forming in her eyes as she heard from Charles' mind and felt the pain that he was feeling.

"Jean, what's wrong?" Scott asked, glancing at her in worry, causing the others to look over to them.

"She lost." Jean whispered.

"Jean?" Hank asked, allowing Moira to take the main controls again as he went to Jean. "What do you mean? What has happened?"

"We were wrong. He didn't want Charles' body and abilities. He wanted hers. And he's taken it. She tried to fight it but she lost." Jean explained, gasping as tears began to form. "She's gone."

Hank bowed his head. His anger, sadness and guilt building. He'd let her go on ahead without any back up. He couldn't help but see in his mind the small little girl that used to sit inquisitively on his lab chair watching him work. She was gone.

The jet was silent apart from Jean's sobs as everybody felt the mournful atmosphere.

Back in Cairo Apocalypse sat up on the slab. Charles gasped at the sight in front of him. Apart from the slightly more feminine features you couldn't tell that it was Etta's body. The skin was blue and his armour had switched from body to body.

Apocalypse raised his hands, clenching them. He glanced at Charles with determination before raising his fingers to his forehead. It was time to use his powers and begin his new reign over his new world. People would bow down to him know and he intended for Charles to be the first to bow.

Charles' eyes widened when he realised what Apocalypse was preparing to do and prepared his own mind to block Apocalypse from entering. He waited patiently, fully prepared but nothing came. Apocalypse growled in anger, his fingers rushing down. Angel landed beside him.

"I do not understand." Apocalypse spoke. "I do not feel different. I do not feel the power I know she processed. It is like she expelled it from her body. I cannot reach them."

"Is that possible? To expel your own power from your body?" Angel asked, his voice confused.

"No. And yet I cannot reach them." Apocalypse replied, his clenches hands tightening as his anger took hold.

Charles let out a strangled laugh before saying mockingly "She said she wouldn't let you get them and she was right."

Apocalypse stared in his direction angrily before his gaze turned inquisitive. "I do not usually settle for second best but today it seems I will have to settle."

He waved his hand in Charles direction causing the pillar to shrink back to its original shape, freeing Charles from his grasp.

"Place him on the slab." Apocalypse instructed.

Angel moved over to Charles and lifted him up. Charles tried as best as he could to struggle but Angel kept a firm hold and placed him on the slab. Apocalypse wasted no time securing the same slab straps that Apocalypse had used on Etta onto Charles' wrists, not bothering with the ankle straps.

Apocalypse nodded to Angel who moved to fly back up. He went back to his protective stance when he spotted through a gap in the wall that a plane was approaching through the mess that Magneto was making with his magnetic pull.

"Others have arrived." Angel spoke down to Apocalypse.

"Don't let them disturb me." Apocalypse ordered as he made his former body dissolve into dust and blow away. He then climbed back onto the slab, hoping for a result this time around. He lay back but nothing happened. He glared around frustrated, looking for any reason why the transference hadn't begun the moment his head had touched the slab like it should have.

Charles squirmed in his restraints. Not bothering to wonder why he was currently being spared the transfusion but focussing on trying to get out of his restraints.

Apocalypse spotted the problem. The triangle had been knocked out of place, so much so that they were all lucky it hadn't fallen. He raised his hand towards it, slipping it back into place. It brightened and the gold lights began their way down the walls, until coming to stop half way through. The lights began at the top again but were stopped in the exact same position.

Charles could feel the anger coming from Apocalypse from where he was placed, even though his gift didn't work on him. Apocalypse studied the walls. There were three large cracks running the entire length of the right wall. He banged his fist onto the slab in beneath him in frustration. It had seemed that the force wave Etta had sent out had caused more damage than he originally perceived. He inspected the rest of the walls, noticing a similar issue all-round the room in various areas, even on the floor. How he didn't notice before was beyond him.

He could hear the fighting outside but he wasn't worried. His followers would protect him until this transference was complete and then he would be unstoppable. He raised his hand, his eyes glowing white as sand filled the cracks, reforming the perfectly sculpted patterns. When his arms touched down the slab and his eyes had returned to normal the bright light began its journey down the walls and across the floor. He could feel his conscious moving; until his hit a wall that sparked angrily. Both he and Charles felt it and cringed in pain.

His conscious tried again and this time broke through. Apocalypse lost himself in the feeling of his conscious moving, so much in fact he took no note of the battle outside and no note that somebody had slipped past his followers.

Kurt appeared above the professor just as the professor eyes began to turn black and his hair was fully gone. He grabbed the professor's upper body, pulling it up before teleporting away and into the plane.

Moira was stood inside the plane. Kurt placed Charles down next to her and she quickly bent down to check on him. He had a cut on the side of his head from where he had banged it against the slab to try and get Apocalypse out of his head. Charles' opened his eyes, glancing around as Kurt disappeared and began collection the others. Jean. Scott. Hank. All of them looked ruffled from the fight they'd just been in.

"Charles?" Moira asked, studying him and his expression.

"I failed her" Charles whispered in an anguished tone.

Moira's gaze dropped. "I'm so sorry Charles."

Hank stepped forward to the controls and began to lift the jet up, ready to get Charles away. They needed to keep Charles safe now. They'd failed Etta but they wouldn't fail Charles as well. They took off, feeling a small dash of relief that they had gotten Charles.

The jet jolted as there was bang from the roof of the plane. They all looked up worriedly at roof, as a purple sword sparked through the room. It came through again, in another direction. And again, and once more.

"Everybody grab hold of Kurt. Kurt get us out of here." Jean instructed and everybody did as she said.

"I've never taken this many people before." Kurt replied urgently panicking.

"You can do it." Jean commented just as urgently as a section of the roof was pushed in and Angel dropped into the plane.

Jean used her telekinesis to push the controls forward, causing the plane to tip forward. The force made Angel fly to back and loose his balance. But it didn't keep him down. He forced himself up.

Kurt tried to get them all off but he couldn't move so many people at one time. He'd never done that before. Angel was slowly moving closer.

"Kurt!" Jean cried in alarm.

He kept trying but nothing was working. Puffs of his usual blue smoke appeared occasionally. Angel jumped forward, just feet away from them when Kurt finally managed to do it.

They landed in a building not too far away as the jet with Angel still inside crashed to the ground and exploded in a ball of flames. Kurt dropped like a stone onto the ground passed out.

"Kurt?" Moira asked in worry. "Is he okay?"

"He's exhausted" Jean replied, moving to kneel beside Moira and Charles.

Scott and Hank remained by the walls, looking out for any sign that Apocalypse or any of his followers were nearby. The five of them that were still conscious could hear a fight going on outside but they couldn't see who it was that it was between. They kept their hopes up and their fingers crossed that they wouldn't be discovered.

A pained yell broke out and it made all of them instinctively look in the direction it came from.

"Peter" Charles said worriedly. His mind feeling Peter's pain.

Charles had never felt so useless. Erik was in pain, despairing and creating chaos. He'd lost Etta. And now he was having to watch as his friends and his family fought and hid for their own survival when he could do nothing but sit. His breath caught as he felt Raven. Apocalypse was strangling her.

"No! Raven!" Charles bit out in anguish. He couldn't lose Raven too.

"Charles!" Apocalypse yelled out. "Charles! Come save your younglings."

Charles moved with determination as he shuffled with his hands. He would die if it meant Raven would live.

"No Professor. You can't give yourself up" Jean argued, spotting his movements and where his mind had gone.

"I won't let anybody else die." Charles bit out.

"If you give yourself up. We've lost. All of us. Etta has somehow prevented him from taking her powers but could you do the same?" Jean argued.

Charles cringed at the thought. More tears coming as he felt Raven's life slipping.

"I know you can hear me Charles! We're still connected." Apocalypse called.

Charles' eyes widened with realisation. There was something he could do. "That's it. We're still connected."

He smiled, lying back and closing his eyes whispering, "Thank you for letting me in."

Charles' mind slipped into Apocalypse's. He created the mind scape that looked like the main room from the school. Apocalypse appeared before him. Charles practically ran at him.

"You want to know what it's like to be me." Charles growled out latching his hands on Apocalypse's head, forcing him to feel the pain, the suffering and anger from anybody that Charles could reach in his own mind. Apocalypse cried out at the onslaught of emotions.

"Welcome to my world." Charles growled out at the man who had taken his Etta away from him. He pulled his hands back, forming one into a fist. He pushed it forward, punching Apocalypse in the face. He reared back and punched again. He reared back once more but this time Apocalypse caught his fist before it could come in contact with his face.

Apocalypse's grip on Charles' hand tightened to the point that it was causing Charles a lot of pain. Apocalypse's form seemed to grow and began pushing down on Charles. Charles tried with all his might to stay up but eventually fell, Apocalypse's hand coming down on him. Apocalypse gripped him around the waist before throwing him into one of the pillars.

Charles grit his teeth in pain as the mind scape shifted, causing him to fly up before landing in the corridor, chest to the floor, just in front of Cerebro. Apocalypse landed behind him on his feet, his form still towering over him.

"You are weak Charles." Apocalypse commented with an accomplished grin.

The air that had once been still suddenly began to pick up movement, like a window had been opened and wind was blowing from outside. It picked up more. Charles gripped to the floor as best he could but Apocalypse who was still tall was blown backwards and out of sight.

Charles felt the floor disappear from below him. He turned and when he felt like he was about to hit the roof, the world seemed to spin around him. The metal roof had changed to a dirt floor as Charles slammed into it.

Charles looked up and around as he struggled to his feet. He was in a forest but the dirt ground was dry and cracked and the trees were leafless and dead looking. Each tree seemed to ripple as though it was a mirage in the middle of a dessert, though Charles could have sworn he could see shapes of people and objects in the trees. He stepped forward towards one in order to investigate a bit more but stopped when he felt he'd stepped on something. He looked down and spotted a tattered rabbit toy. He reached down and picked it up. The rabbit was grey in colour, though it used to be a light blue. It had obviously been loved and used. An eye was missing and half of its left ear was a different colour and fabric from an obvious fix job.

"Rosy Rabbit" Charles breathed. It was Etta's old toy rabbit. It had been her favourite toy. She used to sleep with it. She would always argue that she couldn't sleep without it, to the point that Charles was always scared of what they would do if she lost it. What was it doing here? Where was he?

There was a tug on his left trouser leg. He looked down and couldn't believe his eyes. A child was stood beside him no older than three years old. A little girl. She had long black hair and bright aqua blue eyes. She looked up to him and then glanced to Rosy and then back to him. Charles hesitantly handed her Rosy Rabbit. The girl smiled toothily revealing that she'd lost one of her front baby teeth. Charles couldn't believe his eyes. He knew his girl. He knew her very well.

It was Etta. It was Etta as a three-year-old.

 **AN3: Review and let me know what you think.**


	10. Chapter 9

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Bold –** dream scape memories

 **Chapter 9**

Charles stared down at the smiling girl in disbelief. The girl looked to him before taking his hand with the hand that wasn't holding on to Rosy Rabbit. She pulled him towards the tree that he had been walking towards before he stepped on Rosy Rabbit. He noticed that where Etta walked, grass sprouted from the dirt ground. He turned to look behind him to see that where she had been, life had reappeared. The floor was now grass and the trees were full of life and leaves. Flowers bloomed and sun shined down on the life in that area.

Etta tugged on his hand to draw his attention. They were stood right in front of the tree. She let go of his hand and stepped behind him, pushing him towards the tree. He tried to stop her, she'd end up pushing him into the tree.

"Etta!" he called, "Stop it."

Etta stopped and walked around him and up to the tree. She reached a hand out but instead of placing it on the tree bark like Charles had expect her to, her hand went through it. The tree rippling around her wrist. She turned back and offered him her hand. He looked between her hand, her hopeful face and tree before taking her hand and closing his eyes. She pulled him in, and when he opened his eyes he found he was in completely different spot. Etta was stood beside him.

 **It was Etta's room, exactly how it had been when Etta was five years old. Her bright pink room. Her bed was covered in pink pillows, pink blankets and a slightly healthier version of Rosy Rabbit was placed in the centre of the bed. The curtains were closed and a main light was on. It was night time.**

 **The door opened.** Charles stepped back but he noticed that Etta didn't do the same. **A young Charles entered through the door, in his first wheelchair, carrying a sleeping Etta in his arms. Hank walked in behind her.**

" **Where did you find her?" Hank asked Charles.**

" **Under my desk in my office. She said she was hiding from the monsters. I will have to tell Alex and Sean to be more careful about when and where they watch their horror films" Charles replied as he wheeled to the bed. Hank stepped round and moved the pink covers so Charles could place Etta into bed. Hank put the covers back over her before excusing himself from the room. Charles smiled at the sleeping child before turning to leave.**

" **Charles?" a sleepy voice came from the bed.**

 **Charles turned his wheelchair back around and rolled to her side. "Yes Etta?"**

" **What about the monsters?" Etta's timid voice asked.**

 **Charles smiled gently. "There are no monsters Etta, and if they were they'd have to get through all of us before we'd ever let them near you. We'll keep you safe."**

" **But what if they hurt you?" Etta asked, sitting up slightly.**

 **Charles placed a hand on her shoulder and lowered her back down with a smile. "They won't. They can't hurt me. Now try and get some sleep."**

 **Etta nodded, turning so she was lying on her side and facing Charles. She closed her eyes pulling Rosy Rabbit closer to her. Charles smiled. "Good night Etta."**

 **Charles rolled himself to the door. He flicked the light off and then exited, closing the door behind him.**

Charles glanced down at Etta but was shocked to see that she'd grown. She had changed from the three-year-old Etta to the Etta in the memory. She was now five years old. She held her hand out to him again and he took it. She pulled him through the wall.

They were back in the woods. More of it had come back to life. She pulled him towards the closest dead area and the closest dead tree. As they passed the now alive tree's he saw that the shadows of people that he had seen before where in fact glimpses into the memory you'd step into should you step into the tree.

Etta pulled him into a dead tree.

 **Etta was stood in the main hall of the school, by the door. She was stood with her arms crossed, looking up at a scruffy man. Logan. The strange man from the future. They saw as Etta looked into his mind as they entered Logan's memory.**

 **They were inside a strange building filled with bright lights. An older Etta was walking with Logan down the corridor, their eyes peeled around them. Constantly on alert.**

" **This was a bad idea Logan." Etta spoke.**

" **It may be our last chance. This is where they built them. If there's a weakness to be found anywhere then we'll find it here." Logan replied with a huff.**

 **Etta glanced around. "Charles and Dad are expecting us at the base. They have an idea that might work and they need you."**

 **Logan glanced back at her. "Your mind link tell you that?"**

 **Etta glared, "Yes. They told me to take you back"**

 **Logan stopped and turned to face her fully. "Do you want to avenge Kurt or not?"**

 **Etta glanced down to the ground before glancing back up at him, her face set in a glare. "I do but not at the expense of an idea that may save many other people. If Charles and Dad wants you with them then we should go to them."**

" **Then go to them. I'm finishing this." Logan growled stalking in the direction they had been walking.**

 **Etta sighed before jogging to catch up with him. They walked in silence, both mad at each other.**

 **Suddenly a large pole shot through the floor that Etta had been about to step on. Both Etta and Logan stepped back, reared ready to fight. A sentinel broke through the floor and stood in front of them.**

" **Logan? Your plan?" Etta asked.**

" **I kind of hoped you had one." Logan replied gruffly.**

 **Etta frowned. She reached her arms up and pulled all the metal within reach, except that inside of Logan, towards them, creating a barrier between them and sentinel but it broke straight through. Etta pulled Logan back as she created another barrier with metal.**

" **Now can we leave?" Etta asked.**

 **Logan looked to the barrier that the sentinel broke down yet again. And then to behind the Sentinel where three others were approaching. "Yep. Let's go. This was a bad idea."**

" **I know." Etta yelled as they turned and ran, Etta placing up one final and thicker barrier.**

 **They ran round a corner and towards the main exit doors. Etta used her metal manipulation to open the door in time for them to run through and then close as soon as they had passed through, preventing the sentinels from getting an easy way out. They rushed to where Logan had left his bike. Logan got on and Etta got on behind him.**

 **They drove off. Etta glanced back and saw the sentinels coming after them. She glanced back to Logan.**

' _ **We can't lead them to the base but you need to get there.'**_ **Etta said into Logan's mind, glancing back to the sentinels.** _ **'Tell Charles and Dad that I love them. Tell them it was painless, please!'**_

" **What are you talking about?" Logan yelled as Etta climbed up so she was stood on the back of the bike.**

" **Get to Charles. I won't let them follow." Etta yelled back, jumping from the bike and landing in the road behind them. She saw Logan slow and begin to turn.** _ **'Don't! Don't make this be in vein! Get to Charles!'**_

 **Logan hesitated. Glancing at her in sadness before finally revving the bike and rushing off in the direction of the base. Etta turned to the approaching sentinels. She charged her body and expelled the energy just as the sentinels became in reach.**

 **The bright light from her charge was all Logan could see as he drove away. As he drove he went up the hill where he could continue to see the flashing lights of her fight with the sentinels. He knew if anybody could hold up the sentinels it would be her, but even the strongest can fall. And he knew exactly when that happened.**

 **He had travelled far enough that he could no longer see or hear the fight but he felt a weak presence in his mind and then a weak voice.** _ **'Good luck Logan'**_

Charles eyes watered when he realised what he was looking at. This is what would have happened had he not helped Logan. He came so close to letting this happen. He glanced down at Etta, not as surprised to see that Etta had now grown in to a ten-year-old. She offered him her hand.

"Why are you showing me these?" Charles asked, taking her hand.

"I wanted the company while I looked" Ten-year-old Etta replied as she pulled them back out and towards the next dead tree.

This time when she offered for him to go first he didn't hesitate to step in. He recognised Cerebro and his mind couldn't help but wonder what had happened at the school after Apocalypse had taken him. He shook the thought away and turned his attention to the memory.

 **The Cerebro doors opened. Charles rolled in, a fifteen-year-old Etta pushing his wheelchair. They rolled up to the machine, where Charles rolled himself to the side so Etta could step in the middle. Charles lifted the helmet ready to hand to Etta.**

" **Are you sure you want to do this Etta?" Charles asked worriedly.**

 **Etta nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to find him. Maybe he won't want me to or maybe he will. I will always be asking that question if I don't try"**

" **And you remember our deal?" Charles asked, as he held on to the helmet. He was going to keep hold of it until she confirmed that she did.**

 **Etta nodded. "I have to learn the language. I have to be sure that he has settled and won't move while I'm travelling. I have to ensure there is nobody from the brotherhood around him. And finally when I do go, I have to travel by public transport to ensure I don't get lost and I have to keep in contact with you every evening, no matter where I may be"**

 **Charles nodded and handed over the helmet. "You remember what to do?"**

 **Etta nodded placing the helmet on. Charles began pressing the buttons needed to activate Cerebro. He glanced up to her once more before activating it.**

 **Etta flinched slightly as Cerebro opened the white lights of the humans of the flashed by. But she couldn't help but feel awe inspired. She truly did think Hank is a genius for creating such a marvellous device. She switched the few to the red lights of mutants. She dived through the world of mutants. She could feel their mutations through her gift. Some of them were incredibly powerful.**

" **Focus Etta!" Charles said with a smile, remembering how awed he had been when he first went in. "Focus on Erik Lehnsherr. But remember do not focus too hard, if he senses you looking for him he'll move probably thinking it is me trying to find him"**

 **Etta did, skimming minds faster as she tried to find the one person she was looking for.**

 **And then she found him. Erik Lehnsherr. Her Dad. She looked at him properly. It wasn't like looking at a photo or a television news report. She could see and feel him. She could feel the magnetism of his mutation. It was definitely him.**

" **I've found him. He's in Poland." Etta told Charles, taking note in the head the exact location.**

" **Okay. Now come out. We can go and get some language books and do some research." Charles told her.**

 **Etta nodded, switching Cerebro off with her mind before taking off the helmet. "Can we get them now?"**

 **Charles looked up to her. "If you want to."**

 **Etta nodded. "I have six months till I turn sixteen. I want to be fluent by then. Then I can plan it out and visit not long after my sixteenth birthday."**

 **Charles nodded, "Very well. To the book store then."**

Charles glanced across to Etta, a now fifteen-year-old Etta. He took her hand without her offering it and so she pulled him out. They walked at a more sedate pace this time. Etta could feel Charles' mind was buzzing with questions.

"How is it that you're still here? And why were you so young when you found me?" Charles asked her.

Etta glanced to him. "I knew I couldn't beat it, so I lost to it on my own terms. I shattered my mind. I knew with a shattered mind he would struggle to access my powers, my abilities. Perhaps he might have struggled to function with his own conscious in a shattered mind but obviously that didn't happen."

"You shattered it?" Charles asked aghast.

Etta nodded. "I must admit it was more a tactic to stop him from getting my abilities rather than surviving. But it saved me as well so I think it worked rather well."

"And your young age?" Charles asked.

"My shattered mind is spread around these barely surviving memory banks. As I regain my mind, I regain my age and my abilities. I don't think you noticed that while you were watching memories I was searching for my mind. My mind is still not complete but I think I know where the last piece is." Etta explained glancing at the final area of dead trees. The one in the centre was the one she was focussing on. She began to direct him towards that particular tree.

"Why are the memory banks tree's?" Charles asked curiously looking around at the blooming forest.

"I believe they are from where I was born. I can get into the very early memories but they're very blurred, loud and chaotic, but one of the early ones was in a forest, outside of a house. Dad was playing with me there, or should I say he played and I lay on a blanket. I believe that that forest became my memory bank because it was the first time I took note of anything, memory wise. I not entirely sure about the exact explanation so that's the best I have. Not that I can remember it when I'm not looking through memories like this." Etta explained, and she managed to finish just before they reached the tree. She glanced into it hesitantly.

Charles took note of her expression, and so took her hand. "Whatever is in there I know you are strong enough to face it."

Etta looked up to look him in the eye and nodded. "It's not about facing it, but rather the questions about it"

Charles glanced to the tree. "We'll be fine. We're together."

Etta nodded, knowing he didn't quite understand. They turned the tree together and went in. It was Charles' bedroom. Etta looked the right age for the previous year. Considering it was Charles' room that they were in, Charles assumed he knew when this was.

 **Etta was lay down on Charles' bed, occasionally looking at the clock. It was getting late.** **She was staring up at the ceiling of Charles' immaculate looking room. She was starting to get tired. Her eyes were beginning to close. She supposed even if Charles turned up now she'd fall asleep without really talking to him. She sighed slightly before standing up. She opened one of the drawers to pull out his pad of paper. She pulled it out but spotted something underneath. It was two photographs. One was of Charles and a woman, whose eyes looked remarkably familiar. The other was of Charles and a baby. The baby was her, she knew that. She'd seen this photo before but the first one was a mystery. Who was that woman? She flipped it around to see the back of it.**

' **Maria and I – PHD Graduation 1962'** **was written in Charles handwriting.**

The memory seemed to freeze in place. Charles turned to look at Etta who was a few steps back looking back to him. It was Etta as she was in the memory, twenty years old. She had regained her entire mind.

"Is that my mother? In that photo?" Etta asked cautiously.

Charles sighed but eventually nodded. "Yes."

"You knew her? Why haven't you ever told me?" Etta asked, walking up to be beside Charles.

Charles glanced down to the floor before moving and sitting down on the bed. He glanced up at Etta and nodded to space beside him. Etta moved and sat down beside him. He took her hand.

"I first met your mother when I first began university for my degree. We met on the very first night and I was… besotted. Your mother never really felt the same for me. Don't get me wrong I know she cared for me, but as more of a friend or a sister than a lover and so I never told her. Her and Raven got on very well, practically sisters themselves, so we remained very close friends when she left the university after receiving her degree and I carried on." Charles began to explain. "She was there when the CIA first contacted me and as soon as we met Erik, I knew I stood no chance. Just as I was besotted with her, she was besotted with Erik. When Erik and I went our separate ways your mother actually stayed with me because she didn't agree with Erik's views but she still loved him. A few days later she went missing during a shopping trip. I tried to find her but I couldn't. We hadn't built Cerebro at that point. I never did see her again before you were left on my doorstep."

"Why have you never told me this? You knew I've always wanted to know more about my mother." Etta asked him rather sadly.

"Because I failed her. It wasn't until you were ten, when I met Erik again that I found out what had happened to her. She'd been captured, experimented on and had her mind wiped. Somehow she had escaped and just so happened to enter the same pub Erik and Raven had been in. They were helping her, trying to retrieve her memories when she fell pregnant with you." Charles explained. "Since then I couldn't bring myself to tell you that I couldn't protect her. That while under my watch she was taken. It hurts to even think about it."

Etta remained quiet.

"I am sorry Etta." Charles told her, reaching up with his free hand to move her face to look at him. She did, she looked him in the eye and she could tell he was being truthful. It truly did hurt him. Charles sighed before continuing, "How about when this is over, I'll tell you about her? In fact, I'll show you her."

Etta nodded. "I'd like that."

Charles smiled. And glanced back to the memory. "Do you have your mind fully now?"

Etta nodded. "Yes. I have all of it."

"And what do we do now?" Charles asked her unsure. She was still stuck inside a mind which currently Apocalypse was controlling.

"We save the world." Etta replied, standing up and offering him her hand.

He took it without hesitation and she pulled him out of the memory and back into the now fully flourishing forest. She began to lead him to the outskirts of the forest. The forest seemed to be surrounded by a hedge with a metal gate. Etta pulled him towards the gate and stopped just outside of it.

"What's out there?" Charles' asked unsure.

"Apocalypse. I pulled you in here, even when I wasn't thinking very rationally I could feel you and I wanted you with me. He's out there. Quite possibly waiting for you to reappear." Etta explained.

"And what will happen to you if I go out there?" Charles asked, turning to face her. "You're still here. How can I fight him when I know that if I hurt him I hurt you?"

"Because I'll be fighting beside you. When we go through there, we'll go through together. We'll fight him together." Etta told him, tightening her hand around his. "I have a plan. When I tell you to leave my mind, I need you to leave."

Charles hesitated but when Etta glanced at him expectantly. He sighed and nodded. "When you say to go I will go."

Etta nodded, turning to face the gate.

She reached out and opened it. They glanced to each other and they both squeezed each other's hand in comfort before stepped through ready to face Apocalypse.

 **AN3: Review and let me know what you think.**


	11. Chapter 10

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Chapter 10**

As they stepped out Charles noted that they had stepped out into the mansion's old bunker. The same bunker he had trained Alex Summer's in over twenty years ago. He and Etta were stood in the same place that Alex used to stand. He guessed this was Etta's mind. He knew it was hard to penetrate Etta's mind when she didn't want him to and he guessed that it was this that she pictured to stop him. It was extremely strong. Charles looked to the other side of the bunker. Apocalypse was stood waiting for him, just as Etta had said, and he was obviously surprised when he spotted Etta stood beside Charles.

"You're still alive" Apocalypse commented shocked.

Etta smirked. "Quite. I told you I would fight for my powers and now I will fight for my body."

Apocalypse smiled daringly. "My dear girl. I defeated you when taking your body, do you really think that you could beat me now?"

Etta nodded. "I do. Because this is my body and therefore I have the home ground. You don't have your magic transference anymore. You can already feel the grips of control leaving you. You can already feel my influence taking over. Can't you? I told you, back in Poland, about your destruction and I believe that I will be the one to bring it about."

Apocalypse glared at her.

Etta grinned almost like a shark, "You should have kept that other body."

Etta charged her hands, sending a shocking amount of energy in Apocalypse's direction. He threw up a shield like thing that emitted flames. The two met with sparks of both fire and energy. Both sides were throwing all they have at each other and Charles was horrified to see that the point they met beginning to head towards Etta.

It came closer and closer to Etta and began to touch the end of her fingertips. However as soon as it touched her hands, a shield of white light appeared. It was holding Apocalypse's flames away from her, but only just. The gap was as little as a few centre metres. She brought her hands up close to her chest. A small sphere of white light appeared between her hands, it was growing, shifting, almost as if the expansion wasn't going fast enough.

She threw her arms forward and as she did the sphere of light grew significantly, rushing towards Apocalypse. His flames couldn't hold it back, the light smashed through them and straight into Apocalypses' chest making him fly back.

As he did, Etta fell down onto one knee, holding the area equivalent to where her sphere of light had hit Apocalypse. It had hurt her just as much as it had hurt him but she was expecting that. Charles rushed to her side, helping her back to her feet.

"If you hurt him, you hurt yourself." Charles observed.

"I know. But we can't let him win." Etta replied determinedly.

Charles took hold of her arm, while glancing over to make sure that Apocalypse was still recovering rather than about to shoot back. "You'll end up killing yourself along with him."

Etta side glanced to him, "To save the world, to save all of you, I think that's a small price to pay."

"I won't lose you again" Charles argued.

"You don't have a choice. You'd lose me either way. At least this way it's only me you lose. I got us into this mess by letting him get me so I'll get us out of it" Etta replied, rather solemnly.

Charles despaired. He had been so relieved to find Etta still alive only to find he was going to lose her all over again. Etta stood to face him, raising her hand to place on his cheek.

"You should go. It'll start hurting you too. I'd rather you remember me like this than the battle worn version that I'm sure I'll be towards the end." Etta said, leaning forward and placing her forehead against his.

"I'd rather stand by your side till the very end." Charles argued.

Etta shook her head, moving her head back away from his. "I need you to get to the others. Tell them to give him all they've got, don't hold back. I need their help in order to this. But don't tell them what this means for me. That knowledge will hinder them"

Charles nodded his head sadly. He reached his hands up to hold her face briefly before pulling her into a hug. One of his hands holding the back of her head, the other going around her shoulders, holding her to him. He pressed his face into her hair, his eyes watering.

"I love you so much Etta and I'm so proud of you." Charles whispered to her.

"I love you too Charles. Would you do something for me if this works?" Etta whispered back.

"Anything." Charles replied.

"Promise me you won't let Dad drown in his own misery. Pull him back and show him he's still got something to live for." Etta told him.

Charles nodded, pulling out their hug. He took a good look at her, taking a deep breath. "So this is it."

Etta nodded, glancing over at Apocalypse and spotted that he was back up on his feet, ready to continue his fight. "It is. Good luck and good bye Charles."

"Good luck and good bye Etta." Charles replied closing his eyes.

When he opened them he was back in the room with Moira, Jean, Scott and Kurt. Kurt was still out cold while Scott still stood guard. Moira and Jean jumped to attention when he sat up.

"Charles, what happened?" Jean asked.

"We have to fight him." Charles replied. "Where are Hank, Raven and Peter?"

"They're hiding out there. Hank grabbed Raven and Peter when Apocalypse fell. Apocalypse was randomly knocked back which made him let go of Raven. We don't know what did it but since then he's been seemingly fighting himself." Moira explained.

"It was Etta. She's still in there. She's fighting him, from the inside." Charles said, his head slightly hung. "She needs our help, out here. We need to fight him out here so she can fight him inside."

The door behind them suddenly blew in. Scott and Jean stood ready to defend Charles when Erik stepped in. He looked around the room at all the faces but obviously didn't find the one he was looking for.

"Where's Etta?" Erik asked demandingly to Charles. "I thought she was with you."

Charles didn't reply. The look that he gave told Erik everything he needed to know. "I am so sorry Erik."

Erik's breath at left him. He turned away, his hand going to the wall to support himself. His head lowered. His voice was pained. "What happened to her?"

"He transferred his mind into her. It's her body that is stood out there now" Charles told him.

Erik's form fell even more. "It's my fault then."

"No. Erik. It's not. Neither Etta or I blame you. If you knew you would have fought tooth and nail to save her. She knows that." Charles tried with all his might to help him.

"I chose him, even when she told me not to. I chose him and he killed my daughter." Erik commented, half to himself and half to Charles.

"She isn't dead yet." Charles told him, causing Erik head to shoot up.

Erik left the wall and approached Charles quickly. "What?"

"She's still there, inside her mind. She needs your help Erik." Charles explained. "She's fighting him inside. She needs us to be fighting with her."

Erik nodded in understanding. He reached up and took his helmet off.

"I won't be needing that. Etta never liked my helmet anyway." Erik commented as he placed it on the ground before standing up. He moved back. "I can't beat him alone."

Charles glanced over to Scott and Jean. Both of which were looking back at him. They nodded stepping forward.

"For Etta" Jean commented.

Inside of the mind Etta stood straight to face Apocalypse as soon as Charles had gone. She charged her hands, the energy sparking from her fingertips. Apocalypse rolled her eyes back lifting his hands to the side. The ground began to shift beneath her feet. Etta had no choice but to latch onto his power and used it to settle the ground to stop him from pulling her under. As she did this she didn't notice as Apocalypse fired up his fire shield and sent it flying in her direction. She was forced back, smacking against the back wall. She fell to the floor and noticed that Apocalypse had been brought to the floor as well from his own attack.

They both clambered to their feet.

"Why do you fight me? Together we could be unstoppable. We could change the world." Apocalypse tried to get her on his side again.

"I'll never join you." Etta spat at him.

"You'll die if you don't." Apocalypse commented briskly.

"Oh. I'm planning on it." Etta replied with a grin. "And as we're one, you're coming with me."

Apocalypse pushed forward another set of flaming shield to meet another one of Etta's energy burst's in the centre of the bunker. This time there was no movement from the centre. Both were equally as powerful.

"Your control is slipping" Etta yelled over to him, to antagonise him. "You're going to lose and you know it."

Suddenly a slice of metal slammed into the ground in the centre of the bunker disrupting their own fight. The metal seemed to shimmer to them. It had come from outside. Etta knew what it meant. It meant that Erik was fighting Apocalypse outside the mind. She could feel the effort that Apocalypse had to divert to defending himself from the constant attack from metal.

Two parallel blasts of red light ran down to the right side of the bunker, beginning on the side Etta was stood and hitting the wall behind Apocalypse. Etta felt more effort diverted from against her to against a blast from Scott. Scott was fighting him too.

The room was heating up. The walls seemingly began to melt. Jean. But she wasn't at full power.

Lightning filled the room. So Storm had joined their side and was fighting him as well.

The effort that Apocalypse was under was immense. She could feel him begin to panic and begin to use his ability to teleport. Etta sent forward her own energy again, but even under the stress he was he was still able to halt it.

She frowned. It wasn't working. She needed something else. She needed to destroy him somehow.

She closed her eyes in concentration and lit herself up in sparks. Apocalypse called out in pain.

From the outside Erik, Jean, Scott and Storm held her powers against Apocalypse but nothing was happening. His purple teleportation sphere began to form around him.

"He's getting away" Erik called.

Suddenly Apocalypse sparked. He cried out his purple sphere dropping. If there was any proof that Charles had been telling the truth, it was that. Etta was still there, and she was still fighting. The sparks continued to cover Apocalypse's body, causing him to falter and fall to his knees.

Etta could feel her own body sparking dangerously with power. Her sparks were covering her entire body, lines in her skin was beginning to glow in a pattern beginning from her cheeks, closely resembling the straight sharp angles of lightning bolts. The three lines ran across her cheek and then down her neck, from there they split into several more lines cutting and turning down her body. As they grew brighter the rest of body began to glow as well.

"What are you doing?" Apocalypse called out in agony as his skin was beginning to glow.

"The only thing I can" Etta replied her voice shaking a little, as she felt the built up energy in the centre of her body threatening to explode outwards. She held on, just a little longer. She needed more energy built up or maybe she was just scared about what was going to happen.

Erik was puzzled as sections of Apocalypse's skin seemed to rip and light burst through it. His chest, his fingers, his leg. Apocalypse was crying out. Suddenly it wasn't just sections. His entire body burst with light, burst through the skin and armour, disintegrating them instantly.

The others could feel the energy bursting out as it just continued getting more powerful and the light began getting so bright that they had to stop looking towards it. When the blast that disintegrated Apocalypse reached all of them it forced them all back. Jean hit and went through the building Charles, Kurt and Moira were still in, landing on the ground the ground in the centre of the room. Scott flew into another building but didn't go through the wall. Storm and Erik were both blown back but were able to correct themselves in time to avoid hitting buildings themselves. They had to use their own abilities to keep themselves up against the force emitting from the ball of energy.

Apocalypse who was no more than a ball of light rose up, the energy still pouring out. Erik tried his best to keep watching, but his hand had to come up to protect his eyes from the brightness. The light began to dim, the energy that was pouring out slowly reduced. Erik found it easier to remain in place and relaxed. He was able to lower his hand as the light continued to dim.

Eventually the light dimmed enough to see the person behind it. It was Etta. Her eyes were closed, her body spread out like an eagle. She looked different. She was still wearing the flight suit that they had picked out when they had found the jet. The long dark hair she had originally lost during the transfusion had returned but it had now had light blue stripes in it. You could barely tell which colour was more prominent in her hair. Her right cheek held three silver lines on it, travelled across the cheek and down her neck. Her right hand and fingers have the lines also travelling down them. The lines glowed as she continued to float in the air. The lines dimmed and suddenly she began to drop.

Erik shot forward, having been watching. He flew so he could catch her. He cradled her to his chest as he lowered them both down. As he landed, he dropped his knees so he could half place Etta down. He kept holding her upper body up, only letting her legs rest on the floor.

"Etta?" He asked nervously. He couldn't see her breathing and her eyes remained closed. He lifted her head up as he lent down. She wasn't breathing. He reached round and placed a hand on her neck, feeling for a pulse. There was none. His own breathing halted as he emotions bubbled up. He pulled her close to him. Disbelieving that he'd lost another daughter. Two daughters within a few days. His tears dropped and sobs caught in his throat. He didn't care who was watching. He took no note to Storm who landed nearby and Scott who had climbed to his feet and was now stood a few metres away.

Raven who was helping Hank carry Peter out spotted Erik, halting the three of them. She glanced to Peter who eyes watered. He didn't even get change to fully get to know his sister. Raven squeezed his hand, that had been over her shoulder, in support.

Erik only took note of someone when Jean appeared in front of him. He looked up to her, his tears still falling. She looked distressed and was trying to stay calm. "I can still feel her."

Erik loosened his grip on Etta so Jean could get closer to her. Jean reached out, taking one of Etta's hand in her own and placing the other hand on Etta's forehead. She closed her own eyes and when she opened them again she seemed to floating in space. It was different dream space than what she was used to from when she and Etta used to train together. She worked hard to stand up right rather than floating. When her feet levelled it felt like she was walking on a floor.

Etta was in front of her, stood looking away from her. Etta looked almost heavenly as she glowed amongst the stars as if she was one with them.

"Etta" Jean called.

Etta turned to Jean, her eyes watering. "Is it over?"

Jean nodded. "It's over. You did it. You can come back now"

Etta nodded her head in thought, before she continued looking about the stars. "You know I always wondered exactly what my mother's power was. It always thought it was electricity because of the way it came out. The sparks. But that was just how I pictured it, how mom had pictured it coming out and so it came out that way. So it wasn't. It was energy. Pure energy like a star. It was hidden in my body, just as you have power hidden in yours, and now it's out. I used it to destroy Apocalypse and now I can't pull it back in. If I come back, I will have no control over it. I wasn't even meant to survive it but somehow I did"

Jean just smiled and stepped up beside her. "You know, only a few days ago you told me that you believed in me. You believed that one day I'll be able to control the power inside of me and I believed you. Now it's time for you to believe in yourself. You will be able to control it. Maybe it will take a while but you'll have all of us beside you. We believe in you."

Etta smiled at her taking her hand. "Then I suppose it's time to wake up. It's strange, it's usually me waking you up"

Jean laughed. "I like sleeping in sometimes."

Etta hummed in agreement "So do I."

They closed their eyes together.

Jean opened her eyes and looked to where Etta was lying. She was breathing but her eyes were still closed. Jean let go of Etta's hand as Etta's eyes flickered and then opened. Erik didn't waste a second and pulled Etta towards him murmuring her name, "Etta"

"Dad" Etta whispered back. "Thank you for the help."

Erik losing his grip and let her lie back. "It was the least I could do. I thought I'd lost you and it would have been all my fault."

Etta shook her head. "If you would have known you wouldn't have let it happen. It wouldn't have been your fault."

Erik shook his own head. "Charles said the same thing."

"Yet you don't believe us." Etta argued in a casual tone.

Erik looked to her with a sigh. "Do we need to discuss this now?"

Etta shook her head. "Can you help me up?"

Erik nodded, standing up while helping her up. She glanced around the area that they were stood in. The area was completely destroyed. Should anyone have survived it, they would have nothing to come back to. She glanced over to where Storm stood and remembered that Charles had said she was a local. She walked over to her, ignoring the confused glances from everyone.

"I heard you were from here." Etta commented.

Storm nodded.

"Can I look into your head to see what it used to look like?" Etta asked curiously.

Storm hesitated but eventually nodded her head. Etta stepped forward, placing a hand on each side of Storm's head. She dived into Storms mind looking through her thoughts, finding the layout of the buildings, and what the buildings looked like. She pulled out. She nodded her thanks to Storm before lifting herself up into the air with her father's ability. She raised her hand to the structure that Apocalypse had built. She closed her eyes.

Everyone within sight watched in awe as the building disintegrated into sand and began to move back to where it had begun. It formed back into the buildings and cars that it had been before Apocalypse had arrived. Etta then moved to fixing the mess that her Dad had created with his magnetic fields.

When she lowered herself back down the area looked as if the events of the day hadn't happened. She landed beside Erik and looked up to him. He smiled down at her. Storm stepped up next to her.

"Thank you" Storm said. She didn't have a great deal of things holding her here but it was still the place that she had grown up.

Etta smiled, "It was the least I could do."

A puff of smoke showed the arrival of Kurt, along with Jean, Moira and Charles. Etta immediately moved to Charles' side and Charles' looked up to her in an amazed shock. Etta knelt down next to him and wrapped her arms around him. Charles wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Your alive?" Charles asked quietly, aware he never told the others about her plan to go down with Apocalypse.

"I was more powerful than I thought" Etta whispered before pulling back. "I mean need your help to control some new power."

Charles nodded his head. "That I can do."

None of them noticed Psylocke watching them with a glare on her face. She was already promising revenge on them for what they did. Especially the traitors and Etta Lehnsherr. She stormed off, out of sight.

 **AN3: Review and let me know what you think.**


	12. Chapter 11

**AN: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MY OC'S Maria AND Etta. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS**

 **AN2: There will be APOCALYPSE SPOILERS in this story**

' _Italics'_ \- communication within the mind

 **Bold** \- Memories

 **Chapter 11**

It was Moira that managed to get them all back to America. She had used her contacts in the CIA to get them a flight home and some medical treatment. Charles had needed stiches in his head, Peter's broken leg was put into a cast and they all insisted on Etta getting a check-up. Moira had then gotten them CIA cars to take them back to the mansion, or the ruins of it. Etta had pulled Moira aside and asked whether she'd be able to track down what happened to the other students and get them back to the mansion too. Etta remained close to both Erik and Charles for every other moment of the journey. Apparently they didn't trust her to not disappear in a puff of smoke and turn out to be only their imagination.

When she helped Charles out of the car and into the wheelchair that had been provided for him, she leaned into him and said, "We'll fix it."

Charles looked past her shoulder and at the ruins of his childhood home, his school. "Did everybody get out?"

Etta looked at the school before looking back to Charles with a sigh. "Everybody but Alex. He was closest to the blast."

Charles took a deep breath and Etta reached out to squeeze his hand in support. Charles squeezed her hand back in thanks as Erik walked round the car to join them. He looks sadly at the school and glanced down to Charles.

"I am sorry Charles." Erik said.

"I know." Charles replied, beginning to wheel forward. Erik and Etta followed closely behind him.

The others including Jean, Storm, Kurt, Scott and Peter joined them as they approached the school. Charles was stunned to see building supplies put on the front lawn of the school, ready to fix it. He turned to look up at Etta who smiled. She squeezed his shoulder before rising up into the air. Erik did the same from beside Charles. Jean then stepped forwards. All three of them held out their arms. Jean focussed on the wooden supports, placing them in the correct place and sorting the layout. Erik did everything that was metal related and Etta rebuilt the stone walls. Together they were able to rebuild the mansion just as it had been, minus the personal objects that had been inside of it. Etta had been rather sad to realise that the only photo she'd ever had of her mother had been destroyed, but then it seemed rather insignificant to what had happened over the last few days.

When the building was complete both Etta and Erik lowered themselves back down.

"It looks good. Maybe the three of us should go into business." Etta commented with a smile towards Erik.

Erik smiled. "Building houses?"

Etta nodded. "I think it will go well."

Erik laughed. "Maybe as a back-up option. Charles was telling me on the way here about your teaching job. You didn't tell me when you visited."

"I didn't know. Charles offered the day I got back." Etta replied. "But I'm looking forward to it. Though helping students with their powers may have to wait until I have Mom's ability under control again."

Erik nodded. "I never knew she had that sort of power."

Etta shrugged. "I would imagine that as I didn't have it from the get go she didn't know either. After all I've always had control over yours and Charles'. And I only got Apocalypse's powers yesterday and I can already control them"

Erik shrugged in a similar manner to what Etta had done, looking up to the school.

"Are you staying this time?" Etta asked him suddenly, looking up him.

Erik glanced around a bit. "I don't know. For now, I will."

Etta grinned, taking his hand and heading into the building.

The school filled back up with objects and personal belongings as students moved in to the new building. Etta moved into a room on her own as Storm, who they found out was called Ororo Munroe, moved into Jean's room in Etta's place. They believed that Ororo would be more comfortable sharing a room with Jean rather than somebody else and it would be better for two students to be sharing a room rather than student and teacher.

Charles came true on his promise to help her with her new power the very next day. He took her out on to the back of the property. Erik came out and joined them.

"Okay Etta. We're going to go back to basics. I want you to hover a few feet from the floor and then drop back down." Charles instructed.

Etta nodded. Charged up her legs but instead of only hovering a few feet she shot up. When she turned it back off to get back down she ended up falling a lot further than she should have. She panicked, momentarily forgetting that she could fly through her Erik's abilities. Just before she hit the ground she ended up floating, her metal belt buckle holding her up. She looked up to where Charles was sat and Erik was stood and saw Erik had his arm out. Erik gently lowered her down onto the ground.

She sat up and then climbed to her feet. She brushed the dirt of her clothes before turning back to face Charles and Erik with a sheepish look on her face. "Um, I used a bit too much power."

"We could see that" Erik commented dryly.

Etta looked down embarrassingly. She wasn't used to not having control over her power. She only looked up again when she heard wheels squeaking. Charles had wheeled himself next to her.

"When I helped your mother with her abilities I asked her to hover while holding my hands so I'm going to ask the same of you." Charles commented taking both of her hands.

Etta eyes widened and she tried to pull her hands from Charles' hands. "I'd kill you. I'd fry you before… but now."

"I have no intention of dying today. Hovering shouldn't give out more than a small electric shock, I'll be fine. I trust you." Charles commented gently to give her a bit more confidence.

Etta gulped slightly before closing her eyes. She charged her feet but less so than before. She opened her eyes when she felt herself hovering while still holding on to Charles' hands. Etta smiled and looked to where Charles was sat. He was grinning up at her.

"What did I say?" Charles asked his eyes twinkling.

Etta lowered herself back down. She grinned but didn't say anything.

"You know that went much better than I thought" Charles commented. "When I did that with your mother she made my hair go static and I couldn't touch anything for several hours without giving myself an electric shock."

Etta ginned. "Who says you won't still get electric shocks?"

Charles raised a brow at her before reached down to his wheels. He quickly pulled his hands back away with a yelp. He'd gotten an electric shock.

Etta laughed out loud, quickly joined by Erik who walked up to them and put an arm over Etta's shoulders. Charles just laughed as well.

"I don't know why your laughing. You'll have to push me back to the school now." Charles replied with a grin.

Etta grinned, took her placed behind his wheelchair and mockingly said, "Where to My Lord?"

"My office please Etta" Charles replied, kindly, not falling for her mocking.

"Okay My Lord" Etta said as she began pushing.

"We'll come back out tomorrow and we'll go a bit further up and maybe we'll try some target practice." Charles told Etta as the three of them headed back to the school.

They were silent for a moment until Erik shared a significant glance with Etta.

"Charles there is something I want to talk to you about." Etta said after the glance from Erik.

"Yes Etta?" Charles asked inquisitively.

"Well, it's just… this may happen again one day. Somebody else may try and take over the world or attack the school. I mean that Stryker guy got away and the opinion on mutants isn't exactly brilliant at the minute. And I think we need to be better prepared." Etta began, "I mean I hope that nothing will happen but there is nothing wrong with being prepared for it. And right now we have a team that would work well together"

"Who?" Charles asked already knowing who she meant but she wanted her to give him the full reasoning, explanation and plan.

"Jean, Ororo, Scott, Peter, Kurt and myself. You, Hank, Raven and Dad could train us, just like you trained Alex and Sean. We could fight the battles that the humans couldn't. We could fight to keep the peace and hope. We could defend those that need defending." Etta explained. "We could stop people like Apocalypse before they even get close to destroying the world."

Charles remained silent so Etta glanced over to Erik who backed her up by saying, "It would be worth a thought Charles. Even if it was just to protect the school and your students."

Charles sighed. "I'll think about it."

It was several days later when Charles discussed it with her again. She had been sat in her new room, reviewing the books she was going to use in the next day's lessons when Charles knocked on her. She called for him to enter, which he did. She placed her book down and turned to face him.

"What's up Charles?" Etta asked.

"About the team." Charles started. "There will be conditions."

Etta grinned and nodded. "Of course."

"One, you will train at least twice a week as a team. Two, for the first few weeks it will be with Hank, Raven, Erik and I. Three, you will not go out unless we think you are ready to do so. Four, after the first few weeks Hank, Raven, Erik and I will select somebody to lead the team and whoever we select will be the leader. Everyone in the team has to agree to these conditions before we do anything." Charles explained his conditions.

Etta nodded. "I agree to that."

Charles nodded again before glancing at the book. "Is that for tomorrow?"

Etta turned to the book, picking it up. "Yeah. I thought 'Of Mice and Men' would be a good place to start. They've read through to chapter three so far. We're discussing chapter four tomorrow. I was just reading through to refresh my memory."

"I don't remember this being in your 'definitely' pile. I thought you were quite against this book. I thought I would have to cover this book with them." Charles commented taking the book from her.

Etta shrugged. "I guess I've had a change of heart recently. I never really understood how George could do it, but I do now. He did it to save Lennie from something far worse and if you loved someone you'd rather cause them a small amount of pain to save them from something far worse no matter how much it pains you to do it."

"You sympathise and connect with him." Charles commented.

Etta nodded. "I knew I would hurt you and Dad by dying with Apocalypse but it was better than letting Apocalypse destroy everything and everyone."

"You did the right thing, even if it hadn't turned out the way it did." Charles agreed with her. "If I had had your power I would have aimed to do the same thing."

Etta nodded, going to ask a question before she paused and looked down.

"Etta, ask what you want to ask" Charles instructed kindly.

"Will you show me my mother?" Etta asked hesitantly.

Charles nodded. "Of course. Perhaps we should move somewhere more comfortable."

Etta stood up from her desk, taking the book from Charles and placing it next to her lesson notes. She moved to the sofa that Charles had placed in her room, directly opposite the bed. She helped Charles move from his wheelchair to the sofa before sitting down next to him. Charles leaned forward and placed his forehead on hers to make it easier on them.

"Are you ready?" Charles asked.

Etta nodded against his forehead.

Charles placed his hands on either side of her head and pulled her into his own.

 **Charles stood at a bar at the university amongst the other university freshers to celebrate the start of their university career. He'd left Raven at the apartment. She'd told him he needed friends on his course and so she'd instructed him to go out. He'd already met a group of three females that were living in the nearby halls but they had moved on as soon as they had their drinks. He was leaning up against the bar, a drink in his hand when a woman stepped up the bar next to him to order a drink.**

 **She ordered a modest glass of red wine, which somehow didn't surprise Charles.**

 **He looked her up and down. She had long dark hair and a figure to die for. She was wearing a modern but modest dark blue dress that ran down to just above her knees. The only odd thing about her appearance was the fact she was wearing tight gloves that reached up to where her dress sleeves stopped. She looked over to him like she'd felt his eyes on her. Her face was much like the rest of her body. Perfect in Charles' opinion. Her lips were painted a rosy red but other than that she barely wore any make up. Her aqua blue eyes stood out. He'd never seen eyes like her's before and especially not that colour or that alive. They almost looked like lightning was constantly striking them.**

" **Hello, you have wonderful eyes." Charles began leaning slightly towards her with a seductive grin, making his intentions obvious.**

 **He watched confidently as she looked him up and down. She smirked devilishly and Charles couldn't help but think that he had her hooked. She leaned in close and whispered, "Your fly is down. Just thought you'd like to know"**

 **Charles shot back relatively embarrassed. He turned briefly to zip up his fly before turning back to try again only to see that she had moved. She'd received her drink and gone back over to a group of girls. She glanced over to him as she sat down and smiled.**

… **.**

 **The next day, in his first class he sat down on the back bench, placing his books on the table bench in front. Eventually the bench spaces around him filled up. A brown leather bag was placed down on the table beside him. He looked up and was shocked to see the same girl from last night sitting down next to him. He watched as she fetched out her books and notebooks before placing her bag by her feet. She glanced across.**

" **Your studying biology?" Charles asked suddenly. He almost couldn't picture her as a science girl.**

" **Yeah, so are you but don't worry, I won't hold last night against you. We can scrap it and start again if you'd prefer" She said with a smile as she held out a hand "Maria Cortez."**

 **Charles smiled and took her hand. "Charles Xavier. Pleasure to meet you. If you could scrap it, then that would be great"**

 **Maria nodded.**

…

 **Maria and Charles sat together at the bar. Charles had ordered them both a drink. He took them from the bartender and handed one to Maria. She took it, wearing her gloves again. Charles toasted them, "To a successful project."**

" **To a successful project" Maria agreed and they both took a sip of their drink.**

 **Charles placed his glass down. "You know you never explained why you wear those gloves."**

 **Maria placed her glass down and glanced down at her gloves. "Do you have to mention that now?"**

 **Charles reached out and took one of her hands. "You know you would never be judged by me."**

 **Maria glanced up at him nervously before nodded. She pulled her hand back from him and reach out to take the glove off that hand. She glanced around to make sure nobody was watching before making a spark of energy go from her first finger and her thumb. She then reached towards Charles making a similar spark go from her hand into Charles' hand. Not a painful spark but a barely feel-able spark.**

 **She looked up to his face hesitantly but was happy to see that he had been truthful. He wasn't judging her. In fact, his face was awed.**

' _ **That's incredible'**_ **Charles' voice spoke in her mind.**

 **She jumped slightly in surprise. "How did you do that?"**

" **You have your tricks and I have mine. You should meet my sister Raven. She's like us. Different. A mutant. You'd like her." Charles spoke.**

…

 **Maria stood by Raven by the edge of boat, waiting for Charles to reappear after he had foolishly jumped into the water after some stranger. She had already collection two towels, one for Charles and one for whoever the stranger was.**

" **We're here" she heard Charles voice from the other side of the boat. She rushed to where Charles and a strange man were being pulled out of the water.**

" **Charles!" Maria yelled, running to his side. She wrapped a towel around his shoulders. She then took a step back, charged up one of her fists and punched it into his arm. "You're an idiot. We were worried. You better go and find Raven and let her know you're okay"**

 **He laughed, rubbing his arm which still tingled from her electric punch. "I will"**

 **She then turned to the stranger, her expression slightly nicer, and handed him a towel. "Here. You should get dry. I'm sure they could find some spare clothes for you to wear while yours are drying."**

 **The man took the towel and wiped his face before putting it around his shoulders. "Thanks"**

" **Are you the one that lifted the anchor?" Maria asked intrigued.**

 **The man nodded silently.**

 **Maria smiled. "That was amazing. So you're telekinetic?"**

 **The man shook his head. "No. I can control metal."**

" **Wow, and all I can do is give people electric shocks." Maria joked lifted her hand and letting a spark fly between her fingers.**

Charles pulled his head away from Etta's and Etta looked at him half happy for finally seeing her mom and half sad because she still never really knew her.

"I can show you some more another night." Charles offered, his eyes a bit red.

"It really does hurt you to remember her doesn't it?" Etta asked in concern.

Charles sighed, "It's not so much that it hurts to remember her. I cherish the memories I have with her. It's just the knowledge that I failed her. I can't see her without remembering that I failed her."

Etta shook her head. "Charles, you had no control over what happened her. You don't blame Dad for what just happened and you had even less to do with mom's disappearance than he did with this so I find hard to think that you had failed her."

"I think that this is something that we will have to agree to disagree on." Charles said as he shook his head. He remained silent for a moment before speaking again, "About this team…"

Etta looked up at him, "Yes?"

"You can begin training as soon as Peter's leg is healed." Charles replied.

Etta grinned. "Good. I think we'll make good X-Men."

Charles' eyes probed hers. "X-Men?"

"That's what the first team was called wasn't it? The one with you, Dad, Hank, Raven, Sean and Alex." Etta asked.

Charles nodded.

"Then that's what we'll be called. The new X-Men." Etta continued with a large smile.

Peter's leg healed within a few months and Etta was excited to get the X-Men training. She arranged a time and date with Hank, Raven and Charles before telling the others when the first training session was going to be. She also took it upon herself to make sure they all received uniforms. She decided to go with an overall matching theme with something different for each of them. All the suits were black with coloured stripes. Females had striped closed to the arms while men had the slightly closer to the centre of the chest. Jean and Scott were given red stripes to match their mutations. Peter and Ororo were given silver stipes. Kurt had a dark blue while Etta had a light blue. Hank and Raven also had suits but they were plain black.

Etta was practically bouncing as she approached the training room that day. Charles was with her in his more sophisticated automatic wheelchair.

"You've done a good job with the suits Etta" Charles commented.

Etta grinned, looking down at her suit. "Thanks. The others look really good. And we're a matching team but with our own flare in each suit."

"Charles! Etta!" Erik called out as he approached them.

Charles and Etta noticed that they others were following behind, though by complete coincidence. They others smiled at the three of them before heading straight into the training room where Raven and Hank were waiting.

"I've decided what I'm going to do." Erik started gaining both Etta and Charles' attention.

Etta nudged closer to Erik, "And?"

Erik looked straight to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry Etta, but this is your home and Charles' home but it isn't mine."

Etta looked down to the ground but nodded in understanding. "You'll write though, won't you? Or phone?"

Erik smiled and nodded. "Of course. And you'll have to come and visit when you're not teaching or doing X-Men duties."

Etta looked up to him and nodded. "When are you leaving?"

Erik sighed. "Now. I'll finish my goodbyes and then I'll leave. I've already said goodbye to Raven, just you and Charles left."

Etta quickly stepped to him and hugged him. Erik didn't hesitate to hug her back, placing his head on hers. "I have enjoyed these last few months with you, and It'll probably be strange to be so far away again but it's for the best."

"Yeah" Etta said, though she didn't really agree just understood. "But write to me even if I can't send one back to you. Write to me so I know you're okay. And then as soon as when you settle somewhere, send me your address so I can write back."

Erik nodded. "Of course."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and pulled back. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Now, you've got training to get to, moje małe X-Men"

"Żegnaj tato. Bądź ostrożny" Etta told him with a smile.

"Będę. Now off you go. Raven's waiting." Erik replied.

Etta nodded. She quickly gave him one last hug before rushing into the room where the others had lined up in front of Raven and Hank. Etta joined onto the end of the line next to Kurt, who smiled at her.

When she stopped in her space Raven started to talk, "Forget all you think you know. Forget what your parents told you. Forget what school told you. You're not children anymore. You're X-Men!"

 **AN3: Review and let me know what you think.**

 **AN4: I'm afraid I can't actually speak Polish so these translations are from Google Translate so I apologise if they are wrong.**

moje małe = My little

Żegnaj tato. Bądź ostrożny = Goodbye Dad. Be careful

Będę = I will

 **AN5: For now, I'm changing the status of this story to complete. I've reached the end of the film and it's good place to stop. I'm trying to decide how and if to take this further and until I've decided I shall leave it here at the end of the movie.**

 **I do already have ideas in my head about a possible prequel (Erik/oc) including Maria's mother which will cover from First class to Maria's death.**

 **I then have thoughts in my head about a possible sequel crossover with the Avengers but I'm not too sure about it yet.**

 **Let me know what you think. Should I do the prequel? Or the sequel crossover?**


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